Leida
by HikariMei
Summary: Sequel to Hikari and Mei.
1. Chapter 1: Regret

Quick Note: If you haven't read Hikari and Mei, I suggest you do so, or you will be quite lost. This one takes place about a month after the other one ended.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fallout 3 or anything else mentioned other than Hikari and Mei. The rest belongs to their respective owners, etc. etc.

Chapter 1: Regret

I stared up at the grey, cloudy sky. The sun still shone brightly through, making sweat drip down my face, mingling with the tears that fell. I missed my sister terribly, and regretted not going in to start the purifier.

After her death, the Brotherhood doctors finally showed up. They had to pry her away from Charon, who had no intention of letting his former employer go. They managed to restrain him and they took her away. They wouldn't even let me bury her body. They claimed that they wanted to study her because of her odd ability to heal at a rapid pace, but they had no right to take her. She was my sister, and just because she died doesn't give you the right to experiment on her. I fucking hate the Brotherhood. They were busy doing God-knows-what while one of the leaders demanded their medics for my sister, but they were five minutes too late. Maybe they wouldn't have even been able to save her, but I don't know...

Charon still followed me around, even though he held his own contract. I know he loved my sister, but there was no way I was going to be able to bring her back. He might as well go on with his life. I can't, though. She was with me since the day we were born, and there's this... hole where she was before. I knew I was letting myself fall into that gap, but I couldn't stop myself. She was the only person that I had, and she's gone.

I didn't want to go anywhere, I didn't want to talk to anyone. It was my father's death all over again, only worse. She had been with me through the hardest times of my life, not him. She had watched my back when taking on Super Mutants, when we killed raiders... I tried to protect her from the harshness of the wastes, not only her physical being, but her innocence as well. She still hated killing when she died, and she still got sick at the sight of the dead bodies that we traveled by.

Charon stood in the corner of the room as I entered our house in Megaton. He stared me down, a stern look on his face. It seemed he had returned from his latest escapade. He had been going off by himself every few days, bringing back supplies and caps with him. I didn't care, though. He had his own contract.

"You are not yourself," he stated. "This whole week you have been moping around town. You need to get out."

"I don't need to get out," I snapped. "I'm fine, and I don't need you to fucking tell me otherwise."

"Your anger, resentment, and depression need to be vented," he replied, still as calm and controlling as ever. "I hear Lucas Simms needs the raiders of Springvale Elementary cleared out."

"I don't give a damn about this town," I lied.

Truth be told, it had meant so much to Kari. It was her home, and she cared for the people here. Then again, she cared for everyone, but something was special to her in Megaton. I don't really know what that was, but I knew she would give her life to protect these people. She already had, to save everyone.

"You should not lie," he told me.

How was this... this... _ghoul _able to tell when anyone lied? He was able to read emotions off of people so easily. I guess it must have been living in the wastes for as long as he has. But, he did have a point. I wanted to kill something. I didn't really care what, but the feelings that I had bottled up were trying to get out.

"Whatever," I said. "I'll clear out the raiders, if it makes you feel better."

He nodded, and I went to find my assault rifle. I hadn't used it in over a week, so I had to make sure it was in working order. If it jammed up during the fight, I may as well have just jumped off of a cliff. There were a few parts that needed replacing, but I had a very old, beat up one that I had picked up off of a raider during one of my travels. It had nearly been stripped apart, but there were still a couple of useful pieces in it.

After my gun was repaired, I packed some cooked mole rat meat and some water before I headed out to Springvale Elementary. It was barely a half-an hour's walk away, and the sun was starting to decline. I guessed that it shouldn't take me more than an hour or two to clear the place out, but I was rusty, so I could take longer. Charon didn't follow me, which didn't surprise me. I don't even know why he followed me around, anyway.

As I entered the dark building, blood dripped down from the ceiling, but I ignored it. I could smell rather than see the pile of dead bodies in the middle of the room, but it didn't make me sick as it once had. I pressed on, hearing voices up ahead. The raiders hadn't spotted me yet, so I took aim in V.A.T.S. to catch them off guard before my first assault.

I killed the first one with a spray of bullets to his torso, and the rest began to look around for me. I relished the feeling of the kill, remembering how much I used to enjoy dispatching a raider or two from the world. One more fell before the rest spotted me, and I was forced to take cover from the fail of bullets that came my way. I took the opportunity when they were reloading to kill another. I kept firing, but more and more seemed to be attracted by the sound of the firing bullets. I reloaded so many times, and the mess of desks I was using as cover was beginning to wear down. The bodies began to pile up by the door, and I wondered just how many raiders had gathered in the school.

They finally began to slow down. Either I had killed most of them, or they were growing smart, trying to lure me out. When no more came into the room, I slowly crept out, my gun pointed towards the door in case any more were waiting for me. I killed one that seemed to be a bit slow on the uptake, but other than that, there didn't seem to be any more. I looted the bodies, taking what I saw as worthwhile. That included ammo, food, medical supplies, and junk I could sell to Moira. I stored it all in my pip-boy, which desperately needed to be cleared out. My back was straining under all of the weight, but it was making me stronger, all the same.

I continued to search the building, taking anything I could use. I swear I heard a noise and saw a shadow at almost every corner, but I guess I was just seeing things. There was some pretty decent stuff stashed by the raiders, and I took it all. Anything that I wouldn't use, I could sell to Moira or the caravans. I exited the building, taking all that I had scavenged with me.

Upon reaching Megaton, I told Simms about the cleaning out of the school, and he told me to follow him back to his house so he could pay me. I did, and my reward was a hundred caps. I went over to Moira's shop and took out everything that I didn't need and sold it to her. She was delighted to have new junk, and she wanted to write another book, but the first one was more than enough for me. I took my caps and headed back to my house. Wadsworth informed me that Charon had left again, but he didn't say where.

The robot puttered off to the kitchen to make some food for me. I told him not to worry about making anything for Charon, since he would probably be gone for the next couple days. Maybe this time he left, he wouldn't come back. There was a part of me that wished he wouldn't, but a part that wished he would. I slept alone in my room as usual. Without Kari, Charon had never entered the room unless it was necessary. I don't know where he slept, but I didn't care.

The following morning, my muscles were sore from disuse, and my skin felt really warm and tight, and it hurt to touch. I looked at my reflection on Wadsworth, and my face was all red. I was worried, but Wadsworth called it a, "Sunburn." He said it happened when someone spends much too long in the sun. I didn't spend any more time than usual outside yesterday. I wondered what was up. Charon probably knew more than Wadsworth about the subject, but he was still gone. Still, Wadsworth gave me a weird cream that was from before the war, and he told me to put it on. I felt relief almost immediately, and I wondered if there would be any side effects of the product.

I sat around for most of the day, but I was itching to get out. I wanted to do something. My killing spree helped to take my mind off of things, and there had to be something. By the end of the day, Charon still had not shown up. Even if he was back the following morning, I would leave. I remembered when Kari was recounting her journey to find the G.E.C.K., she said something about regretting being able to free the rest of the slaves at Paradise Falls. Maybe... Maybe I could do that, for her. I could free the slaves, as she was not able to. Paradise Falls sounded like a big deal, so I guess someone would know where it was.

Well, the night came and went, and still no Charon. Whatever. I could find free the slaves without him. I asked Simms, who showed me exactly where it was. I guessed it would take me about a day to get there. I would come up with the rest of the plan later. I ignored Moira's questioning of where my sister was and purchased some more ammo for my old assault rifle. My sojourn to the school had dried me of all of my magazines.

I set out into the morning heat and blocked out the noise of the Protectron that greeted me in his programmed voice.

I had never really traveled alone, knowing that nobody was a call away. It sent chills down my spine, and I felt as though I was being watched, even through there was no indication of someone on my radar. I turned on the radio, hoping to fill the silence. I listened to the end of Anything Goes before Three Dog started to talk.

"Kiddies," he said, "I'm afraid I have some sad, sad news. You know how I've been reporting on how the angels from one-oh-one have been combining forces with the Brotherhood? Well, I just received some terrible news. It seems that the whole reason for this is because of some purifier that now cleans the water. It is all thanks to one of the twins that we have this clean water. There was a huge battle, as I'm sure a lot of you heard, and the Brotherhood won! 'Well, Three Dog,' I'm sure a lot of you ask, 'what's so bad about that? We won pure water for all!' Well, I'm afraid this victory was at a cost. Someone had to go into the irradiated control room and turn it on. Deadly amounts of radiation fill that room, and one of the saints from one-oh-one was the one to go in and start it. It seems that they were not able to save the poor girl. She, unfortunately, had to give her life for the good fight. Let us all have a moment of silence to remember her."

I stopped in my tracks, ignoring the tears that threatened to overflow. The whole wasteland seemed to stand still. Even the light breeze that usually blew through stopped.

"Well, that's it for the news today," the radio picked back up. "Now, let's listen to some music."

The next song to play was one of Kari's favorites: Maybe by The Ink Spots. I pressed on, though. I wanted to do good in the memory of Kari. I wanted to finish what she was unable to.

The sun soon began to set. I had only killed a feral dog or two by that time. Off in the distance, I could make out the statue of... something. I saw a man sitting by a makeshift cover. I looked at my pip-boy, and I was almost directly on top of Paradise Falls.

"Ah," the man said as I approached. "Haven't seen you here in a while. Come to do more business, eh? I see that ghoul fellow is no longer with you, nor are the kids."

"Sold them to a rather high bidder," I played along.

"Good to hear. We just got another shipment of kids in, if your interested in replacing them. I'm sure Eulogy would be more than happy to sell them to you for a modest price."

"I'll go take a look at them," I said, eyeing the guns that all of the other slavers held. "But, it's been a while. Where can I find the slaves?"

"Over in the pens," he stated with a chuckle. "Think Eulogy's busy, though. He and Clover are becoming more and more... well, closer. You'll have to wait if you want to buy them."

"Yeah, yeah," I dismissed before heading inside.

I found the slave pens easily enough. I would have to find some way to get a key of some kind. The lock seemed secure enough that I wouldn't be able to pick it.

"Hope you're not thinking of breaking into that."

I turned around and was faced with a woman with almost no hair, and the little that she did have was spiked into two devil horns near the back of her head. She had a combat shotgun strapped to her back, and she leaned against the metal fence.

"Nope," I replied. "Just making sure the locks are secure. Don't want any break-outs, now, do we? Don't think that'd fly to well with Eulogy."

She smirked. "See you haven't changed a bit. You thinking about doing more business?"

"Thinking about it," I stated. "Heard you got some more kids in?"

"Yep," she said. "Jotun and Ymir just got back with them. Don't know how they got them out of Little Lamplight, but they did. They're in the back. I have a spare key."

She proceeded to carefully unlock the door before shutting and locking it behind me.

"Inner gate combination is 34-23-09. Don't let a single one of them escape."

I nodded and headed to the back. It was such a pitiful sight, and I hoped that I would never become a slave myself. It made me see exactly why Kari wanted to free them. I saw that the pens were divided into two parts, one for the kids and one for the adults. I went over to the kids, first. There flew into the back room, and I followed them in. There were five in there, and they all cowered in the corner.

"Come over here," I instructed. "You wanna get out or not?"

They slowly approached, and I got a better look at them. They were all covered in dirt and grime, and they looked as though they hadn't had a good meal in a few years. I wondered how often they were actually feeding these kids.

One came up to the front of the gate and squinted, before she smiled. "Hikari!"

"Wh-what?"

"I remember you! You're Hikari! You rescued the others!"

"Sorry, kid. I ain't Kari," I replied.

"But you look just like her," she stated.

"We're twins, but Kari is a lot nicer than me," I told her. "Now, are there really five of you?"

"Yeah," she said. "And there are three more over on the other side. Are you really going to get us out?"

"Yeah, but keep your voice down. You don't want me killed, do you?"

She immediately shut her mouth, but opened it again. "Where's Hikari?"

"Dead," I replied. "Died to give out pure water to the wastes."

"O-oh," was all she said. "What about the ghoul that she was traveling with? What happened to him?"

"Dunno, now enough with the questions. I've got to talk to Eulogy about price, then maybe I'll kill the rest of the slavers to free the rest of you."

"But what-?"

"Enough questions. I have to go."

She pointed to the collar on her neck. Admittedly, I had forgotten about those. They posed a problem, but maybe I could find some way to take them off without harming the slaves. One of the kids was brave enough to let me take a look at it. I bent down and began to take a look at it. It was a lot like the nuclear bomb that I had disarmed in Megaton, only smaller. I made quick work of it, and began to work on the next one.

"I knew it," a feminine voice said from the other side of the door. "You are not Hikari, are you? You're the saint form the Vault. Good luck getting out, because Forty, Eulogy, and I have a key. Nice knowin' ya."

I went up to the door, but there was no handle. It appeared that it could only be opened from the outside. I swore under my breath and leaned against the wall. The kids stood around me, looking curiously as I ran a hand through my hair.

"Now what?" a girl asked.

"Dunno," I replied. "I guess I could finish taking the collars off, but I don't really know what that would accomplish without a way out of here."

"But you have a gun," she said. "So if one of them tried to come in here, you could just kill them and we could leave."

"Yeah," another one agreed. "I'm sure you can get us out of here."

I sighed. It wasn't like I had anything better to do. "One of you get over here, so I can get the collar off."

One sat in front of me. It came off a lot easier than the previous one. When I was working on the final one, I heard a, "Click," and the door started to open. I held my gun up, but the person standing there was not the one that locked me in. He had blond hair that was blown back and he was a lot more muscular than Charon. He wielded a super sledge and motioned for me to follow. I looked at the kids, and nodded to them before entering my pip-boy and making sure I still had the Fat Man from when we first killed the gigantic mutant. I had a couple of mini nukes left, but they would only be used as a last resort. I followed him out, the kids in tow. As we approached the gate, the girl that had locked me in approached us.

"She was planning on freeing the slaves," she said. "Surely you're not letting her go? Or the kids?"

He just stared at her for a moment before responding, "Yes."

"But why, Jotun?" she questioned. "She's not who you thinks she is!"

Again, there was a delay in his response, and his speech was slightly broken. "She is... kind. I can tell. I will... help."

"Eulogy won't be pleased, and neither will your father."

"I... do not... care."

My rescuer, Jotun, didn't seem too intelligent, but he looked pretty powerful. The girl also seemed to have some kind of crush on him, as the look she was wearing was a lot softer than when she was talking to me earlier. I had seen that look on Kari's face when she talked to A3-21 and Charon.

Suddenly, I heard gunshots at the front gate, and the other two took out their weapons. I pulled mine out, as well, and the children cowered behind me. More gunshots followed before the front door came open.

"Charon!" I called.

He wore an angry look before disposing the slavers to his right, who had immediately tried to attack him. He approached me, the rest of the slavers looking rather frightened.

"What were you thinking!" he shouted. "We are going home, now."

"That's all fine and dandy, but not yet," I replied. "There is still something I need to do."

"And just what might that be?"

"I'm going to shut this place down," I replied before firing my gun off at a group of on looking slavers.

As the blood spattered against the ground, I couldn't help but smirk. It felt good to kill, and I was doing a lot of that lately. Charon joined in and began to fire upon those that dared to charge us. The slaver that had gotten me out of the slave pen just stood there, an odd look on his face. The other slaver that I had been talking to turned to attack me, but my savior suddenly jumped in the way of the knife she had brought out. He threw her off in an instant. She was shocked, but got back up and fought back. To be honest, she didn't really stand a chance against him, so I wasn't surprised when she slumped to the ground.

The three of us kept shooting, but I felt a weird sensation in my head. I reached my hand up and felt blood flowing down my forehead. Everything began to fade to black and I fell to the ground. The sounds of the guns firing off were muffled, and I lost feeling in my body.

* * *

After Notes:

Chapter one is done, but I haven't even finished editing chapter eleven... ^-^*

I'm writing this now because I've finished the chapter and just want to get it done so it's ready to go when it's time to post it. Did you know that shorter chapters take a lot less time to proofread? I think I may write shorter ones from now own...

Anyway, I was really kinda depressed after I killed Kari, but I have plenty of plot for the next couple chapters. It just sorta came to me one boring period of psychology. I just have to get it all typed out, which is the hard part. As of this moment right now, I have but one more weekend of drumline, and I'm really hoping that we do the best we have done for this final competition. I'm really excited. :)

So, if you like the story, find it interesting, or have anything at all to say about it, please drop a review or PM. The emails I get about it make my day. :)

Much appreciated, HikariMei. :)


	2. Chapter 2: Nothing but Memories

To wattamess: Thanks for the review! I'm glad you liked it, and I don't know if anyone really was expecting it. It just sorta came to me while I was trying to think of a plot twist.

* * *

Chapter 2: Nothing but Memories

My head was pounding, and everything around me was dark. I sat up when my vision returned to me, but had no idea where I was. Everything around me was so odd-looking. It was all faded metallic and grays. A robot was on a charger in the corner, so I stood up. I wasn't wearing anything other than my underclothes. My reflexes seemed to kick in as I pulled up the thing on my arm. It had a logo on it that said, "Pip-Boy 3000 A." I saw a Vault 101 Jumpsuit and clicked on it, which caused it to pop out. I didn't really have time to question it, as I could hear what I thought to be gunfire outside. I slipped it on and crept down the empty, echoing hallways. I had no idea where anyone was, and I didn't know who I was or where I even was. When I tried to remember something, it was like a brick wall popped up, clouding my mind. No matter how many times I tried to climb over it, it was as though I slid back down. There was no end, nor was there any other way around it.

Once I found my way outside, I sort of wished I hadn't. There were people that didn't look human shooting and killing one another. In the chaos, I managed to slip away, but I had no idea where I was going. Again, my hand fluttered up, and the thing on my arm was lit up. I browsed around and found a map. I was at some place called the Citadel. There were a quite a few places listed, and a few of my own markers on their with little notes. There was one on a place called, "Paradise Falls," saying, "Free Slaves," and another one on a place called, "Museum of History," that said, "Due Date: December 29." I had no idea what these meant, but I had to find out who I was and what I was doing.

I decided to go to the museum place, since it was fairly close by. It looked like a river was separating me from my destination on my pip-boy, and I found what appeared to be a narrow part in the river. When I found it in person, it was about fifty feet to the other side. I sighed to myself before I began to wade across. Suddenly, I felt something grab a hold of my leg. In an instant, I pulled up my pip-boy out of what I guessed to be instinct, and found something called, "A3-21's Plasma Rifle," and began to shoot at whatever was trying to break my leg.

Whatever the creature was let go, hissing as the green goo that came out of my gun came in contact with it. I clutched the rifle closely, ready to shoot if it decided to come back. I felt another tug on my leg, and I shot a couple more shots, hoping something would hit. I was knocked down another one grabbing onto my leg, and the next thing I knew, I was being tugged along by the current. I think I passed out from lack of oxygen as I was repeatedly pulled under by the strange creatures.

* * *

~Charon's POV~

The kid was being an idiot. Who goes off alone to some giant slaver camp with no plan of action whatsoever and only an assault rifle with very little ammo? Protecting her was a lot harder than it needed to be. She lay ob the table in the medic's office, the slaver, Cutter, had been smart enough to not join in the fight and once everything was clear, she began to fix up Mei. Cutter said something about damaging her temporal lobe, but I don't really speak medic.

"What exactly does the temporal lobe do?" I questioned gruffly.

"It has to do with long term memory," she stated. "I doubt she will be able to remember anything about herself, her past, etcetera. I also doubt she will be able to remember things in the future."

I didn't know what to say. I had failed in protecting her. Yes, I had my own contract, but Hikari had asked me to watch over her, and I had let harm befall her. I had failed.

"When will she wake?"

"When she is ready. I'll let you know once I run some more tests," she replied. "I suggest you go wait outside. This is going to take a while."

I grumbled to myself before leaning against the wall of the clinic, not taking my eyes off Mei.

"Suit yourself," Cutter mumbled.

* * *

~Mei's POV~

My head killed, and I couldn't recall anything that had happened. I remembered gunfire, but that was it. I tried to think of something, anything, _anyone, _but nothing came. I opened my eyes, and the light nearly blinded me.

"Sorry," I heard a voice say as it disappeared. "Don't sit up yet. You just took a bullet to the brain, and I'm surprised you're still alive. Do you know who you are?"

"No," I replied.

"Well, there is someone here who can inform you of who you are and everything, but I don't really know if you'll remember it. You suffered a lot of damage to your temporal lobe, which stores your memories. Unlike regular cells, brain cells don't grow back, so there's nothing we can do."

I sat up slowly. I was in some kind of clinic. The woman that had been speaking was covered in blood, and someone was leaning against the wall.

"Charon, you can talk to her now. I'll be in the other room, so shout if you need me."

The person, Charon, was tall and muscular, but not overly so. There was very little light, so I couldn't really make out any facial features. He stood by my bedside, not really saying anything. We sat in the awkward silence for a moment before he spoke up.

"What do you remember?" he asked in a rough voice.

"Nothing other than gunfire," I stated. "Just... gunfire."

"The you have much to learn," he said. "Your name his Mei Mansen. Is that familiar at all?"

"Yeah," I replied. "It is."

"I'm Charon, your body guard. You had a twin sister named Hikari."

I though over what he had said for a brief moment before asking, "What do you mean, 'Had?'"

"Well, there was a war over two hundred years ago, and the world was destroyed. Your sister gave her life to help brig a part of it back: Clean water. The project, Project Purity, has also taken both of your parents. I was under Hikari's service until then, and she instructed me to watch over you," he told me. "But for now, we need to seek higher medical attention. We are going to Underworld, the city of ghouls. Do you remember what a ghoul is?"

"No."

"A ghoul is someone who has been exposed to a lot of radiation," he explained. "Instead of dieing, their bodies begin to decay. Some go insane, but others, like me, stay sane and live for hundreds of years. The doctor in Underworld is a sane ghoul that has been around since before the war. He has more medical experience than anyone I know. I believe that we should see him so you can get the highest medical attention. We have to see if your memory can be restored."

"All right," I said. "We'll go there."

"Then I shall answer any questions you may have on the way there, but you will need your weapon."

"What weapon?"

He handed me a rifle that was sitting by the bed, saying, "This is yours. You were quite useful with it before you lost your memory. We shall see how well you still shoot."

I nodded, but I wasn't too sure about killing anything. Still, I took the gun and followed Charon out of the rather dark building. When we got outside, the moon was barely visible, and I could see no stars. Charon and I walked for a while. I don't really know just how long, but I had a very bad headache.

"Something is bothering you," he stated.

"Just a bit of a headache," I told him. "Nothing to worry about."

"I suggest you take a shot of med-x. You should have some in your pip-boy." I gave him a puzzled look, and he added, "That thing on your arm."

"O-oh."

I flipped a button on the side and it lit up before me. I scrolled around for a bit before I found what I was looking for. I took a hypo out, and Charon helped me to inject it into my arm. My headache went away after a couple moments, and we pressed on.

"So, Charon, how long was I out?"

"About two weeks," he replied. "From what I understand, one of your lobes took massive damage, and your brain went into shock."

I nodded before I asked, "What was I like before I lost my memory?"

"You were a rather rude person, but a gifted killer. You had no qualms about killing, and you were a good shot, a real natural. The only person you ever got along with was your sister."

"Will you tell me about her? What was she like?"

"Hikari was a very kind person. She helped out anyone, and that was the death of her. She started the water purifier to give out clean, radiation-free water to everyone, but the control room to the purifier was completely filled with radiation. Deadly amounts. She died about a month and a half ago. She had a temper, though, and she hated killing, which made her a terrible shooter."

I nodded. She sounded like a good person, but I couldn't remember her at all. I kinda did, but not really. It was weird, but it was like… I could _feel_ the memories, rather than see them. I think that was why I trusted Charon so easily. He was familiar in my mind, even if I couldn't see the memories associated with them.

Charon continued to answer my questions until we reached a metro station. I was exhausted, se we camped just inside it as the sun began to rise. Charon made us some food before I fell asleep.

When I woke up, Charon was already preparing breakfast. I choked down the odd, rubbery meat and a bottle of water before we were on our way. There was no sign of life anywhere in the tunnels, but I felt something. Something in my gut, and it said that trouble was on the way.

Upon exiting the tunnels, I found out exactly what that feeling was. Three men in odd armor jumped us, but Charon was on them in a heartbeat. I aimed the gun that I was given, firing it at the men. I let instinct and a weird sense of familiarity overtake me as I shot a spray of bullets into on, causing a gurgling noise to issue from his throat. Charon had taken out the other two before we looted the corpses.

"You seem to still remember how to shoot," he stated. "That is good."

"I don't really _remember_ how to shoot," I told him. "It's more like… it's been programmed into my brain, and it's all muscle memory."

"That has been known to happen, and it is a very good thing. There will be no need to teach you how to shoot."

I nodded, and he tossed me some ammo and what I remembered as a holotape.

"These Talon Company mercs have attacked us before," Charon stated. "They seem to want you dead."

"Why?"

"No idea."

I played the holotape, but all it said was that there was a thousand caps for my head. _Greeaat…_

"Well, how much longer until we reach Underworld?" I questioned.

"I'd guess about two days or so, of we hurry."

I nodded. That seemed to be a decent time, according to my pip-boy.

* * *

~Charon's POV~

I was pretty thankful the kid was alive, but I had failed in protecting her. Still, maybe there was hope. Different elements of her life seemed to be familiar to her, which was more than could be hoped for. Perhaps Doctor Barrows could help her out further.

She lay on his examination table, some pre-war meds having knocked her unconscious. He had a slit in her head as he probed around. It was hard for me to sit still, but I knew that he knew exactly what he was doing. I just hoped that she would be fixed.

* * *

~Mei's POV~

My head hurt. A lot. I opened my eyes, and there were two ghoul standing over me. One I recognized as Charon, and the other, I didn't know. He was covered in blood, which usually wasn't a good thing.

"What happened?" I asked.

"You were just seen by Doctor Barrows," Charon stated. "Do you not remember?"

"No," I replied. "The last thing I remember is you telling me about my past on the way to Underworld."

Charon looked over to Doctor Barrows.

"It seems that only part of her temporal lobe has been destroyed, but part of it remains. If she is able to recover anything, it will be a miracle," he stated. "I believe some things may be lost forever, and others she may never store in it. It's a miracle she's even alive."

"So I've been told," I said. "Well, thanks for the help, doc, but I think Charon and I should-"

"Wait, were you just rude to him?" Charon wondered.

"I… I guess I was. Is that bad?"

"No, no," the doctor said. "Very good. It means your memories may be starting to return. Your old personality may be coming back. Just don't go drinking. We don't want a repeat of last time."

He winked, and I was utterly confused. I looked between him and Charon.

"Last time you were drunk here, I nearly killed you and your sister," Charon told me. "But, it is also how you became in possession of my contract. You stole it to make things up with your sister."

"I loved my sister, didn't I?"

"Very much," he stated. "But, everyone who met her did. She was a very likable person."

"Did you like her?"

"Yes. She was the only employer that I had that never ordered me to do anything. She was kind to me, and I watched out for her."

I nodded. "Well, what do we have to do?"

He gave me a funny look.

"I feel like we should be doing something, but I don't really know what," I explained. "I figured you would know."

"I believe we should try to get your memory back," he said.

"And how do we do that?"

"I believe we should take you to different places that maybe hold strong memories or emotions," he replied. I was about to ask where, but he added, "Places like Megaton, Rivet City, your Vault, maybe GNR, and the Jefferson Memorial."

"Well, let's go to Megaton, then. What's there?"

* * *

After Notes:

I finally finished typing/editing this chapter.

Anyway, what does the beginning tell you, eh? I added it for sake of the plot, but is it really Hikari? Or was it just what went through Mei's head when she was unconscious? You shall find out if you stick around for the later chapters.

Oh, and I apologize for the shortness of this chapter. They're all pretty short from here on out, but they're easier to write that way.

Please, drop me a review/PM and let me know what you think of the chapter or if you notice any mistakes, etc. I'm open to any ideas you may have. Much appreciated, HikariMei.


	3. Chapter 3: Revenge

Quick Note: Kinda touchy subjects presented in this chapter, borderline M for my type of writing.

Oh, and interesting quip: My songs of inspiration for this chapter are Don't Forget by Demi Lovato and Lu:na by Gackt, neither of which I own, but are amazing songs and kinda fit with this chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fallout 3, or any related subjects. I own Mei and most of the plot in this chapter. I'm sure you can distinguish which part I don't own. That is all.

* * *

Chapter 3: Revenge

I tasted salty water, and it disgusted me. I think I threw up, as I could feel acid burning my throat. I sat up, coughing up the bile, letting it drip onto whatever floor I was on. It felt as though the floor was rocking back and forth, and everything was dark. I coughed up more acid, and it spilled onto the floor with the rest. Some sort of door was opened before me, letting in a lot of light all at once. I flinched at the bright light, thrusting my hand up to block it.

"Nice to see you're finally awake," a man said. "I was beginning to worry you wouldn't be joining us, miss one oh one."

I was confused, but maybe this man would let me know what was going on.

* * *

~Charon's POV~

I was worried about the kid. She passed out, and she showed no signs of waking up. Her pulse was weaker, and I knew that she needed medical attention. The closest doctor was that of Megaton, and he and Mei did not get along well. She needed medical attention, though.

Suddenly, she began to stir in my arms. She gazed up at me, an odd look on her face.

"What… Where am I?"

"We are on our way to Megaton," I told her. "We will be there shortly."

"I… Kari-" she stopped to take a breath before continuing. "I remember Kari. It was like, I was her, starting the purifier. She was so brave, even as sick as she was, she was able to go in there and do it to save all of us. I remember her. I remembered the Vault, but only those memories that pertain to her. It's… odd."

"I think that is because you had such a strong bond with her," I stated. "You were with her from the moment you were born, so most of your memories must have some sort of tie with her."

She nodded and asked to be let down. I obliged, and we continued on our way to Megaton.

* * *

~Mei's POV~

Megaton, the location that held my house. I don't recall owning a house, but that's coming from the girl who can never seem to remember her own name lately. The scrap metal city came into view just after the sun rose, which gave us a whole day to try to remember.

My house was so familiar, but nothing really came to me. I was greeted by a cheery robot named Wadsworth. He knew my name, which meant Charon was not lying to me when he said it belonged to me. The robot went to make us some breakfast, which I couldn't wait for. The only thing I ate was radroach meat, which was nasty.

I explored the house, eager to recover any kind of memory. Charon left me to look around the house on my own, which I was kind of thankful for. I wanted to be alone for a bit. Everything downstairs was familiar, but nothing triggered any kind of memory. I went upstairs, hoping I would have better luck. I found two rooms, a bedroom and a storage room. There was only one bed, and I wondered how all three of us had managed to sleep on it. I traced a pattern in the mattress absentmindedly as I glanced around some more. The desk held a few caps and some ammo for my gun, but that was it. There was nothing in the filing cabinet, and the computer terminal was broken.

I soon moved on to the storage room, but all it held was junk; empty tin cans, broken cups and pitchers, and various colored plates littered the shelves, but they were all spotless. I guess the robot needed something to do while we were away.

I went back downstairs, but there was still nothing. I sat at the table and Wadsworth brought out some sweet rolls that he had baked. They tasted amazing, especially since I had been living off of radroach meat. I had a cup of Brahmin milk to go with it, but then Charon made me drink a cup of spoiled milk, claiming that I had discovered, with a woman by the name of Moira Brown, that it helped to keep radiation at bay. It tasted nasty, but I felt slightly more energized, as though the radiation was holding me back.

I jumped when someone knocked on the door, and Charon got up to answer it. He chatted with whoever was there, and I got up to see, but I didn't know whoever it was. He wore a business suit, dark sunglasses, and a pre-war fedora. He pushed by Charon and handed me an envelope that smelled like old men's cologne. When the man left, I opened it. It was a simple letter.

_Beloved Mei,_

_The pain of your absence is at times crippling. But I must persevere. I must! It is very important work I am doing for mankind._

_Oh, but I wish I could sweep it all away to be with you now!_

_Be patient love. I will send for you soon_

_Your's very truly,_

_Burke_

Burke. The name was so familiar, and it instilled anger in me. I felt my face heat up, but I had no idea why. My head began to pound, and I dropped the letter and held my head in my hands, hoping to dispel whatever was happening, but to no avail. It worsened and worsened. Images flashed before my eyes. There was a man… Burke. We talked. He handed me something, and he left. It was later… My hair was a different color, a lot like Kari's. He was there again. He forced me into his house, into his room, onto his bed. I wanted the images to stop, but they kept playing like a slideshow that I had no control over. I felt so dirty when it was over, and I realized why I felt hatred towards the name. I stood up from the floor I had fallen to, brushing off the dirt.

Charon looked at me with a weird look, and I think I was closer to finding my old memories.

"Are you alright?" Charon asked.

"Better," I replied. "Where is Tenpenny Tower?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I have some… unfinished business to attend to," I stated. "I wish to go there."

"Then I will take you there, but that place is full of bigots, so I may not be let in."

I nodded. "I can handle myself."

"Very well. When do you wish to leave?"

"As soon as possible. How long will it take us to get there?" I questioned.

"About two days," he stated.

"I'd like to stock up on supplies, and then we can leave."

He nodded and proceeded to fix his gun while I went out shopping. I found the supply shop easy enough. The shopkeeper seemed to know me, and I realized that she was the one that I had discovered the rotten Brahmin milk cure with. I bought some ammo and real food from her before heading back to Charon. He had taken the liberty to repair my gun, as well I thanked him before he handed it back to me. We then headed out to the main gate.

"Charon, was I as well liked as Kari?" I inquired. "You said a lot of people really liked her."

"No," was all he said.

"Oh. Well, why not?"

"You were very blunt and sometimes rude, which tended to rub people the wrong way. You were a lot more selfish, caring only for yourself and your sister. You were not entirely a bigot, but you thought yourself higher than most ghouls, and you had a big dislike for androids and robots. You also treated me very… inhumane at first," he stated. "Kari was very open to people, and she helped out anyone who needed it. She treated everyone as equal, which most people were not used to. People were just drawn to her."

I fell silent. Was I really that mean? Kari seemed like such a wonderful person from what I could remember about her. I wished I could maybe go back in time and fix whatever I had done and make everything right.

"Well, what about my parents? What happened to them?" I wondered.

"Your mother, from what I understand, died giving birth," he replied. "Your father died to save Project Purity, you, and Hikari."

I sighed. "I wish I would die doing something as meaningful."

"Many do not wish to die at all," Charon said. "Most people avoid thinking of death."

"Yeah, but death is inevitable," I pointed out. "It's going to happen no matter what we do, and it'll happen to everyone, so we might as well just go along with it, y'know?"

He nodded in agreement.

"How old are you, anyway?" I asked.

"I am two-hundred and twenty three," he replied. "And yes, that means I am a pre-war ghoul."

"You're really old," I stated. "I wouldn't be surprised if you were the oldest person in the wastes!"

He smirked. "I probably am."

"You know, that's the closest thing to a smile I've seen on you since I woke up," I told him. "Did you ever smile before?"

"Once or twice," he replied.

"When?"

"After I met your sister," was all he said.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I questioned. "Were you two… involved?"

"No," he stated. "No, not like that. I did love her, though. She made me… happy."

We fell into an awkward silence for a while until I asked, "How come ghouls live so long?"

"That is a question that a lot of us ask," he said. "Doctor Barrows is trying to answer it, along with a lot of other questions. Personally, I believe that it is because we are healed by radiation, and it is everywhere.

As Charon had said, it took us two days to reach the tower. It was a lot larger than I had expected, and it was in really good condition. There was a ghoul talking into the intercom, shouting at whoever was on the other end.

"You can tell Tenpenny he can kiss my ass!" he shouted. "We've got plenty of caps! Let me in, bastard!"

"How many times do we have to go through this? You're not getting in," the person on the other side responded.

"Well I can stand here all day yelling at you through this damn speaker if I have to!"

"I've already told you, Tenpenny won't allow zombies to live here," the other responded.

"Who are you calling a zombie?"

"You're not human, and that's for damn sure. No zombies allowed!"

"Can't you tell the difference between me and a feral?" he questioned. "Fine! I'll show you the fucking difference, just you wait! You'll get yours! All of you!"

With that said, the ghoul turned around, and he wore a startled look.

"Oh, Charon," he said. "What are you doing here?"

"Just escorting Mei to see someone here," he replied. "You're still trying to get in, obviously."

"Those bigots still can't tell the difference between us and a feral. Is she your new employer?"

"No. I am in control of my own contract, now," Charon said. "I am with her for personal reasons."

"Oh, are you two, like-"

"No, nothing of that sort," Charon interrupted. "Strictly professional."

"Sure," the other ghoul said. "Anyway, you want to help us out?"

"Maybe later," he stated. "We have business to attend to."

"Well, I'll be down in Warrington Station, should you change your mind."

Charon nodded, and I approached the mic.

"I thought I told you to get the hell out of here!" the voice shouted again. "Tenpenny doesn't want your goddamn caps, and I don't want the fucking headache! For the last time, get your rotting, ugly, fucking ass off Mister Tenpenny's private property!"

"God, is that how you treat all of your guests?" I responded.

"What? No, just those damn ghouls. Sorry, thought you were one of them," he replied. "Still, ghoul or not, you're trespassing on Allistair Tenpenny's private property. Renters and official business only."

I sighed. "Look, I'm just here to see Burke."

"He's not here," he stated.

"Well, he told me that he'd be here," I told him. "I have letters that he has been sending me as proof of contact."

"Oh, you're _that_ girl," he said. "He's told us aaaall about you. Good, maybe now he'll shut up about you. Come on in."

"Charon, I think it would be best for you to wait out here, or if you prefer, down with the other ghoul in the station."

He nodded and began to head off in another direction. I noted what it was so I could find him again.

"I'm chief Gustavo," the guard said. "You must be Mei. My, you are awfully young."

"I'm nearly twenty," I told him. "It's not _that_ young."

"Compared to everyone here, yes, that is young. Tenpenny's up on the top floor. Take the elevator," he instructed. "He'll decide what to do with you until Burke gets back."

I nodded. It wasn't like he would really harm me, so there was no real risk with going to see Tenpenny.

"Great, another bitch," a woman muttered.

"You got somethin' to say?" I called. "Say it to my face, and not behind my back."

"I'll say it wherever the hell I want," she replied.

"Someone needs an attitude adjustment," I shot.

"Who the hell are _you _to tell me what I need?"

"When one calls me a bitch for no reason, I think that justifies the means to say that the person needs an attitude adjustment."

"I have never been spoken to in such a manor!"

"Well it's about time that _someone_ did!"

I saw it before it happened. She launched herself towards me, perfectly manicured nails wielded as claws. Something kicked in during that split second, remembered training of some kind with Charon. As she was lunging, I saw an opening, like I had watched for during that training. I took it, and she was on the ground, not moving.

A guard was on me almost immediately, and I was on the ground, as well. I struggled against his grip, but he was stronger.

"I don't know how you got in here, but-"

"What's going on here?" an old person asked.

I craned my neck, and the man was dressed in a red, crisp suit, a sniper rifle attached to his back.

"Mister Tenpenny-!"

"Who is this girl?" he demanded.

"We don't know, but-"

"Let her up. I wish to speak with her."

"Yes, sir."

The weight of the guard was relieved as he stood up, and I pulled myself off of the floor.

"What is your name?" he questioned.

"Mei," I told him.

"Mei… Please, excuse my guards. Will you follow me to my quarters?"

"Why should I?"

"You are here about Mister Burke, correct?"

"Yes, I am."

"Then you are who I thought you were. I wish to talk more privately," he stated before addressing everyone else. "She is not to be harmed in any way. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," the security men responded in unison.

"Mister Tenpenny-"

"Please, just Allistair. I feel as though I already know of you. Burke speaks so highly of you."

"Very well, Allistair."

He smirked. "So, what can I help you with today?"

"I'm here to see Burke, but I've been told that he's not here."

"You are correct. He should be back in a couple of days, though. I sent him away to do some errands for me. If you want to wait around, I'll let you know when he arrives."

"I actually have some errands of my own to run for a bit, but I should be back by the end of the day."

"Very well," he said. "I'll have a suite prepared for you, then. It'll be the one on this floor, only on the right from the elevator, rather than to the left. Here's the key."

"Thank you," I replied. "Now, if you'll excuse me…"

He nodded, and as I reached the lower floor, I saw the woman who had attacked me holding her head while sitting in a chair. She sent me a death glare, and I couldn't help but smirk. She had gotten what she had deserved. The others all gave me looks of disgust, and one resident even commented on how ratty my clothes were. Whatever. I headed over to the train station to find Charon and the other ghoul. Maybe we could come up with some sort of mutual agreement.

I snuck by a few feral ghouls before a ghoul called to me from an overlook.

"Come where I can see you, and don't try anything. We've got two killing machines that aren't but a call away!"

"I've come to see _my _killing machine," I told him. "Charon still here?"

"Oh, you must be the smoothskin they told me about. Go on through."

"Thanks."

He nodded down at me, and I went through the gate underneath the steps. I could hear three voices from further back. One was Charon, one was the ghoul from the gate, and the third belonged to someone I didn't know. I entered the room, and the three were just sitting and chatting.

"Oh-!" the female ghoul said.

"Bessie, don't be frightened," the other ghoul told her. "It's just Charon's smoothskin."

"Nice to know I belong to you," I said as I sat down on the dusty bed next to Charon.

"Whatever," the other ghoul replied. "Look, I need your help."

"Well, you and Charon know each other," I stated. "How is that?"

"Roy used to come in to Ahzrukhal's a lot," Charon stated. "When my former employer was drunk or high, we would chat."

"Okay, and what about you needing my help?"

"I have an idea," Roy told me. "But that requires an inside person. I need you to open the basement door that leads here in the station. Shouldn't be too much of a problem. You in?"

"Just tell me what you plan on doing when you get in there."

"We plan on sending in a few of our brethren to try and work out a deal of some kind," he explained. "You see, they won't listen to us, so I thought that perhaps if we got some ghouls in the hotel, they'd listen to us for once."

"And what do I get out of it?" I asked, leaning forward onto my knees.

"The satisfaction of you knowing that you did the right thing," the ghoul said.

I thought for a moment, wondering what Kari would do. Knowing what little I did of her, I gave a small nod and said, "Fine. Just tell me what I need to do."

"Great. You'll need to find a key, and then you can make your way through to the emergency exit, outside through the room with the generators."

"I'll get right on it. Charon, I think it would be best for you to stay here. The residents don't take too kindly to me, anyway."

He sighed. "What did you do?"

"There was one woman who, just by entering the building, called me a bitch and… well, you can guess where that led to. By the way, I remembered something again. I remember… you, and you were training me for some reason. Hand to hand combat. I don't know why, though. Although, if it weren't for that, I might have shot the bitch, and that wouldn't have ended well…"

"You and your sister had swapped spots," Charon stated. "I remember that. I was trying to train Hikari, but you two switched spots. After you pinned me, I knew what had happened."

"Oh. Well, sorry, I guess."

He shrugged.

"You should get going," Roy interrupted. "I don't know what you told them, but you need to get that key."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm going. Tenpenny's getting me a room until Burke comes back," I told him. "And after I help you out, I'm going to kill him. Hope you don't mind. Of course, if you do, it won't matter. I'm going to kill him, anyway."

With nothing else to say, I headed back to the tower. Gustavo let me in without another word, and I headed up to the room that was prepared for me. As I entered the elevator, the woman that I had fought with earlier stopped the door and got in with me.

"What now?" I inquired. "Isn't one humiliation enough for you?"

She glared and waited for the door to close before she launched herself at me. I sort of saw it coming and dodged it, prepared for her next attack.

"Don't get me angry," I told her.

She ignored me and tried to have another go, but I jumped behind her, bringing assault rifle out in the process. I aimed it at her, and she stopped.

"You don't have the guts to do it," she taunted.

"You have no idea who I am, what I have been through, or what I am capable of," I stated.

I flipped the gun around and used the butt of it to hit her in the head. She slumped forward, and I jumped out of the way as she hit the ground. The door opened just after I had put my gun away. I stepped out casually and went to the room that Tenpenny had told me of.

"Good evening, Madame Mei!" a Mister Handy robot greeted. "My name is Godfrey. What can I do for you?"

"Make me some food, will ya?" I requested. "Some sweet rolls?"

"Coming right up!"

"And start to make some of the purified water, too."

"Will do!"

Just as I flopped onto perhaps the softest bed I had lain in since leaving the Vault, there was a knock on the door.

"I've got it!" I called over to the robot.

I opened the door, and an elderly man was standing there.

"Greetings!" he said. "I heard you'll be staying with us for a while. I thought I'd come and welcome you. May I come in?"

"Sure, whatever," I replied.

"I must say, that was a good show with Susan Lancaster. She doesn't really have the best reputation. But, I am getting a bit ahead of myself. I am Herbert Dashwood. Y'know, Herbert "Daring" Dashwood from the radio broadcasts?"

"Oh! Yeah, I've heard those," I lied. "Hey, do you know anything about the generator room?"

He chuckled. "Did you know that Chief Gustavo turns a lovely shade of violet when he, "misplaces," stuff? Especially important stuff, like keys?"

"So you're saying you have a key?"

"Maybe, maybe not," he replied. "That's for you to find out."

"That's a yes, then."

"If you play my game, you can have it," he tempted.

"Please, no games," I requested. "I'm really tired and I just came a long way and had to deal with that Susan lady."

"Oh, fine," he grumbled. "Ruin my fun…"

He fished out a key from his pocket and tossed it to me.

"Thanks!" I replied. "You know, you're alright."

"Dashwooood!" I heard someone shout from down the hall.

"Well, gotta run!" he said with a large grin. "Nice meeting you!"

"Likewise," I replied before he dashed off.

An older man ran up to me, out of breath.

"Which way did Dashwood go, comrade?" he questioned. "He's been messing with my terminal again!"

"Dunno," I replied before turning to go back in my room.

The following morning, after making sure Herbert was safe in my room, I went downstairs and outside towards the generator room. I made sure that there were no security guards around before I went down the stairs leading to the said room. I made my way through piles of junk and the hulking, whirring machines before I came to a barred door.

"Good, now just activate the terminal," Roy instructed through the bars.

I nodded and made quick work of it. "Now what?"

"Charon and I'll meet you back outside," he replied. "The terminal activates the entrance inside the tower."

I nodded and left the room. I could hear screams from inside the tower, and Roy opened the door a crack before slipping out. Charon followed suit.

"Here," Roy said, tossing a weird mask my way. "Go ahead and put it on."

"Why?" I asked suspiciously.

"You don't want the ferals to attack you, do you?"

"Ferals? Why are there ferals in there? You told me that only a couple of ghouls would be going in there to negotiate."

"Did I say that? What I meant was that you were going to open the entrance for us so the feral ghouls could clear everyone out for us," he said with a dark chuckle.

"You _what_?" Charon said as Mei fell quiet. "I am all for equality between ghouls and smoothskins, but this has gone too far, Roy. You can't just kill everyone inside the tower because they won't let you in. It just shows others that we are cold-blooded killers!"

"No! It shows them that we are to be treated as equals or they will suffer out wrath! That we are more than just dumb zombies! That we can think for ourselves! That we are not to be trifled with!"

"You... You lied to me," I muttered disbelievingly. "I can't believe I... I believed you, that I fell for it. I thought that maybe, for once, I could be like Kari and do the right thing, but you... You lied!"

"Yes, people tend to do that here in the wastes. It's a part of life, Kiddo. Get used to it."

Anger suddenly flooded through me, and I wanted to rip him to shreds. Not for me, but for those people inside that were likely getting being killed by those feral ghouls that I was tricked into letting in. I may not have liked that one lady that I got into a fight with, but Herbert seemed pretty nice, so I was sure there were more people like him in that tower that were suffering. I seethed as Roy continued to gloat.

* * *

~Charon's POV~

I hoped that the kid hadn't gone crazy, because I don't think I would be able to take it if she really had. I had already dealt with her when she wasn't clinically insane, and it was taxing. As she launched herself toward Roy with a shout of anger, I found myself questioning her sanity. He was probably twice as strong as her and could easily overtake her once he realized what was going on.

Almost as soon as she was on him, I pulled her off and held her back, which was a fairly easy task, even though she thrashed against me.

"Charon, let me go!" she shouted.

"Roy, what the hell is wrong with you? Get the ferals out of there now before I kill you myself."

"You wouldn't dare," he said, rising to his feet and wiping a small amount of blood from his lip where Mei had landed her first punch. "You kill me and what's to stop all of those ferals inside? You? Her?"

"You have until the count of five to get your ass in there and remove them or I'll blow your damn brains out," I threatened. "One. Two. Three. Four-"

"Even if I wanted to, it's too late for them. I can't stop them now. The only way to do so is to kill them all," he quickly said.

* * *

~Mei's POV~

"Damn it!" I shouted before getting a better grip on my assault rifle and kicking the door open.

But I wasn't ready for what was within. People were screaming, running away from the ferals, but it was no use. They were faster and stronger than regular humans, and they had a killer instinct; they were being literally ripped to shreds as they tried to save themselves. I stood there for a moment in complete shock before anger flooded my senses and I charged in, gun not bothering to stop shooting until I had to change magazines. Soon, I heard the roar of Charon's shotgun join in, and together we were able to clear the first floor, but there weren't any survivors here.

I quickly sprinted up the stairs and to the next floor. I opened fire on every feral ghoul that I could see, and a part of me enjoyed watching their blood spatter across the once pristine floor and walls. Another part of me felt horrible, guilty. It was my fault that the people were dying such horrible deaths. I did my best to shut out their screams as I tried to save them.

Not soon enough, we reached the top floor, where Mr. Tenpenny himself resided. Although his door was locked, the ghouls were clawing at it, trying to get it open and get to him. I cleared them out with help from Charon, and that was it for the ferals in the tower. I leaned against a wall and wiped the sweat from my brow with the back of my bloodied hand as I quickly caught my breath. It was over. I could relax. But for some reason, I couldn't. My body was shaking so bad that I slid down the wall and onto my rear. My vision began to blur, and it was then that I realized what was going on. I was crying. Sobbing, even.

I jumped when I felt a warm hand on my shoulder, and I looked up to see Charon staring down at me, almost as though he was concerned for me. I quickly dried my tears and rose to my feet defiantly. If I remembered one thing, it was that crying was a weakness, and I was not a weak person. I refused to be.

"I'm fine," I said in an even voice before he could ask. "Let's just... get out of here."

"And what about the man you came to see?"

"Forget about him. He's... He's not even worth my time anymore," I muttered. "I want to go home."

* * *

~Charon's POV~

I could tell the kid was _not_ fine, even though she claimed to be. I think that she blamed herself for what happened, but it was not her fault. Roy was the one that tricked her into letting them in. While Mei was no longer crazy, she had gone into a spiraling depression. I did my best to help her, but she pushed me away, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Usually when something like this happened, it was Hikari what got her out of it, but she was no longer with us.

I took her back to Megaton, hoping that maybe getting her out of the environment of Tenpenny Tower may help, but it didn't. She just stayed up in her room all day. It was a lot like when the twins' father passed. Neither would accept any help, nor would they talk or eat. Mei was not eating, which worried me. She was already scrawny enough.

"Charon," Mei called from her room.

I went upstairs and she was sitting on the bed, a blank look on her face.

"Yes?"

She took a deep breath before saying, "I want to go out."

This was better that it had been.

"Where to?" I questioned.

"I don't know… somewhere. Just not here."

"Very well," I replied. "Is your assault rifle in working order?"

"Yeah," she stated. "I haven't used it since we invaded the tower."

"Okay. I'll get ready."

* * *

~Mei's POV~

Charon was getting all worried about me when there wasn't anything to really worry about. I hoped that just getting out of the house for a while would throw him off of me, maybe get him to leave me alone for a while.

I started to wander once we exited the town, heading northwest, according to my pip-boy. I had a couple of people come up to me, saying they heard about me on the radio. I don't even know how they know that I'm the one from Vault 101, nor did I know that Three Dog was still broadcasting my adventures. To be honest, he was kind of annoying. The wastelanders asked me for various things like food and water, but I wouldn't give them anything. I wasn't a nice person, and I wasn't Kari. I was getting sick of them thinking I was.

* * *

After Notes:

I made a LOT of changes to this chapter recently (I pretty much rewrote it) and I think I like it better this way.

Please let me know what you think or any mistakes you may notice through a review/PM. They really are great motivators now that I'm sort of writing the chapters right now other than waiting to be finished with it before I upload them (if that makes sense). Much appreciated, HikariMei.


	4. Chapter 4: Hallucinations

To wattamess: Again, thanks. I'm glad you like it. I'm trying not to make it that depressing, but this chapter kinda is.

Songs of inspiration: Sunshine, Black Poppies, and Werewolf, all by Cocorosie

Disclaimer: I don't own anything fallout 3 related, except for Mei and some of the plot. I also do not own Cocorosie, or any of their music.

* * *

Chapter 4: Hallucinations

The man had no idea who I was or anything. All he did was pull me out of the water, thinking I was dead. He dropped me off at some odd, yet quite interesting, island. I forget what he called it, but I felt the urge to explore. Maybe I could find some way to figure out who I am. There was a lot of smoke up ahead, and where there's smoke, there's usually people.

It was a mansion, and it wasn't really on fire. There was just a lot of smoke that poured out of the top. I approached it, and a camera fixed itself on me.

"Wait, you're not one of the tribals," a gruff voice said. "Come on in. I need all of the help I can get."

I heard a clicking noise from the door, and I guessed it unlocked. I entered the building. There were two turrets under the stairwells and two dogs that growled at me. A man was watching a set of televisions that I guessed he had cameras for. I approached him, my gun at the ready.

"I think they're about to breach the east wing," he told me. "Go and see if you can't block it off."

"Wh-what?" I questioned.

"You heard me, now go," he growled.

He frightened me quite a bit, and I had a feeling I didn't really want to make him mad. Maybe entering the mansion wasn't the best idea.

"Going," I replied.

* * *

~Charon's POV~

I had no idea where we were going. It was as though we were wandering aimlessly, but the kid had a map and compass, which is a lot more than most people have out in the wastes. We stopped for the night, and I took first watch. Mei started to cry out in her sleep, and I placed my hand on her shoulder to wake her up, but she stopped. I kept it there, just in case it really was me that seemed to calm her.

Luckily, nothing approached us that night. I didn't want to wake her up to take watch because of how she had been acting lately. She seemed a lot more peaceful when she was asleep.

* * *

~Mei's POV~

I glanced down at my pip-boy occasionally as we traveled, hoping to find something, anything, that would be interesting. I wanted something to take my mind off things.

"What's… What's that?" I questioned.

It looked like some sort of cave in one of the faces of a rock. A wooden door was barely visible among the rubble that had fallen around it. I approached it, ignoring Charon's voice telling me otherwise. I opened it, and a dark tunnel led back. I called him over. I wanted to investigate it. He said that he didn't think we should, but it looked promising.

I flipped on my light, which did very little as the cave expanded. I was surprised to see a giant, circular metal door with a 106 printed in the center.

"It's a vault!" I stated. "Help me figure out how to open it!"

"I do not think we should," Charon advised. "It may not be safe."

"Nonsense," I replied. "Here it is!"

I flipped a switch, and the door sprang to life. A siren went off, much like 101. It went silent for a second before it opened with a loud screeching noise. I entered slowly. Through the doorway on the other side of the room stood a man. He held a baseball bat at the ready, and was soon joined by another with a lead pipe. They stared at us curiously for a moment before charging. I wasn't expecting it, but Charon disposed of them before I had time to react.

"I told you it is not safe," Charon stated, shouldering his shotgun.

"Yeah, yeah."

I had my rifle out as I ventured deeper into Vault 106. I had to wonder what had made the residents all go insane. I could faintly remember being attacked by the crazy Overseer back in mine, but he had sent guards to kill us. Other than that, I couldn't really recall any sort of physical violence.

Still, it was kill or be killed, just like it was everywhere else outside. Charon and I killed plenty more. As I entered a room, there was a scent that was barely noticeable. I breathed it in deeper, hoping to figure out what it was. As I did, my vision darkened a bit, adding a purplish tint. The door shut and locked behind me, so I ventured forth, my rifle at the ready. On the other side of the room was a figure. I approached it slowly and cautiously. They wore a Vault 101 jumpsuit, and she was soon approached by a man, who was also wearing a 101 jumpsuit. I nearly dropped my gun when I realized who it was.

"Kari! Dad!" I shouted, running towards them.

They turned around, but wore frightened looks. I stopped, and turned to see what they were looking at. Beams of red light flew by me, striking both Kari and Dad in the chest. They fell, and I turned on the Enclave soldiers, bullets firing out my gun. They disappeared when they were struck. I turned back to see Kari and Dad, but they were gone.

I had no idea what was going on, but in another room, I was Dad talking with another man through a window. I tried to get in, but the door was locked. I went back to the window, staring at him. He seemed to be arguing with the man, and he suddenly tackled the man while holding a grenade.

"Run!" he shouted over at me.

"No!" I shouted. "No, Dad, stop! Don't do it!"

As it exploded, they disappeared. I felt tears forming in my eyes. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I turned around. I faced Mister Burke, who gave me a lustrous look, before one of pain replaced it. Blood formed on his shoulder before he slumped to the floor. I saw what looked like me staring at me, a crazy, insane look in her eye. Was that really me?

"Why!?" I shouted. "Why is this happening?!"

"Mei, help!" I heard a familiar voice shout.

I ran down to another room, peering through that window. I saw Kari, faced with the same man that Dad had killed. He was flanked by Enclave soldiers. They drew their guns, and I tried to shoot through the glass, but it was bulletproof. Red lasers fired, striking Kari down.

"No!!" I shouted. "Kari! No! Not you, too! Come back!"

I banged on the glass, and I felt it give beneath my hand. It embedded itself under my skin, causing crimson blood to pour out. I felt the tears overflow, but not because of the pain in my hand, but at the sight of all of the merciless killings. I couldn't stop any one of them.

The door on the other end of the hall was forced open, and Charon slipped in.

"What's going on!" he shouted, holding his shotgun up. "I heard gunshots!"

I didn't respond, only kept crying, not caring any more if he saw me cry.

"Mei, what is wrong? What happened?"

I didn't say anything again, but I fell to my knees, leaning my head against the metal wall. How would he respond if I told him that my sister and father had just been murdered multiple times and Burke once in front of my eyes? That I couldn't do anything about it? I wanted them back. I wanted Kari most of all. She had always been there for me, and the she was gone. Just like that.

I felt Charon's hand rest on my shoulder, but I didn't brush it off.

"Tell me what happened," he said in a softer voice.

I shook my head. Not now. Maybe later. Maybe never.

"We need to get out of here," he said.

I nodded. Yes, that sounded good. The vault felt so… restricting, and it made it hard to breathe.

"Can you stand?"

I tried, but couldn't find the strength. I felt Charon's hands make their way under my knees and he lifted me off the ground, much like my Dad did when I was little and refused to get up. I buried my face in his armor and placed my arms around his neck, letting everything out. I didn't care any more.

* * *

~Charon's POV~

I felt quite sorry for Mei. I don't really know what went on, but I was locked out of the room when she entered. I heard her shouting and shooting. Then I heard her shout for her father and sister, along with more gunshots. The door was locked, but that didn't stop me. I began to pry the door open, trying to get to her. The lock finally snapped, and the door sprung open.

She was sobbing, blood dripping down her hand from the broken window. She saw me, but didn't try to collect herself like she usually did. I think she had lost it, and was sick of trying to hide it. I pitied her, and ended up carrying her out of that god-forsaken place. I happened to glance up at the vents, and I noticed a shimmering gas slowly leaking out. The sooner we got out, the better.

We arrived in Megaton as the sun was setting, but she had passed out as we had left Vault 106. She was exhausted and slightly insane, but I had a feeling that if she just opened up a bit, maybe she would become a bit… less insane. She cried out in her sleep, but all I had to do was touch her shoulder and she quieted.

* * *

~Mei's POV~

I was tired. Tired of carrying around all of the sense of loss, tired of the hole in my chest, tired of being the way I was. I was ready for change, but I didn't know how. Charon hadn't really left my room at all since we arrived back in Megaton, and I was kind of grateful for his presence. It soothed me a bit.

"Ch-Charon," I called.

"Yes, Mei?"

"I've… changed since I lost my memory, haven't I?"

"Somewhat," he replied. "You are not as… sadistic as you were before, but you have become a bit more mentally insane. It is better, though. You are more self-conscious of your action, like you were with Mister Burke. You seemed to regret it more afterwards."

"I do regret it," I admit in a soft voice. "I wish I hadn't killed him. I've been regretting a lot of things, lately. I don't even know what they are, but the feeling is there."

"It is natural," he stated, "To feel regret when you think you've done something wrong."

"I wish Kari was here," I told him. "She used to know exactly what to say to make me feel better, and she used to comfort me when Dad was busy in the office."

"Me too, kid," he said. "Me too."

"You really did care for her, didn't you?"

He nodded, not meeting my eyes. "Very much so."

"But, there's nothing we can do to bring her back," I stated.

He nodded in agreement. "But you are not alone in missing her."

I took a deep breath before saying, "I know. I… I just don't like to talk about these kinds of things. It's difficult to explain, but-"

"I understand," he interrupted. "I am the same."

I felt tears dribble down and off of my chin. I all but threw myself at Charon, and he returned the embrace. It was just what I needed, and I was starting to feel a lot better.

"I am here for you," he said.

"I know," I responded softly. "Thank you."

* * *

After Notes:

I felt kind of awkward writing the last bit, but I kinda like it. I don't, however, like how short this one is. I meant for it to be a lot longer. Oh well.

Oh, and there is no romance between Charon and Mei, nor will there be. They are just having a budding friendship moment. Things should get a lot more interesting from what I have floating around in my head right now. I plan on bringing back a character that I had in my last story. Not saying who, though. Those who review/PM get brownie points. Much appreciated, HikariMei.


	5. Chapter 5: Leida

Disclaimer: I do not own Fallout 3 or any related material. All I own is my laptop, Hikari and Mei, and some of the plot.

Song of inspiration: Promise by Cocorosie. I do not own the band or their music. I do love them, though.

* * *

Chapter 5: Leida

It didn't take me long to bounce back from my slight depression and insanity. I was ready and rearing to go within a couple days. As much as I loved and missed Kari, dwelling on her death was not something that would prove productive. I know that she would want me to live my life, not cry forever over her.

"Hey Charon," I said. "What did I used to like doing?"

He thought for a moment before saying, "Exploring, killing Super Mutants, and the like."

"I want to do that. My memories aren't really coming back with familiarity, but more with time. I need something to pass that time."

"Very well," he agreed. "But if I say that we need to come back here, you will listen and not fight me, is that clear?"

I nodded before I made sure I had enough supplies to keep us going for a few days. Charon went to gather what he needed, and then we were off to the D.C. ruins. It took us about a day to get there, and the muties were crawling everywhere in the trenches. They hadn't spotted us yet, so I decided to catch them of guard. I got one in the head with some well-aimed shots from my rifle.

It turned out into an all-out war against about seven of them, with only Charon and me going up against them. I felt more familiar with myself than I had since I had lost my memory. Killing them was all muscle memory, so my body reacted before my mind did. Soon, a pile of dead mutants had begun to form. More and more were drawn out of the safety of their trenches by the sound of the gunfire. The greater part of me wanted them to never stop. I felt a weird sense of sadistic joy whilst disposing of the creatures, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Off in the distance, I heard the ringing shot from a sniper, and it pierced the skull of a mutant that had somehow made its way behind me. I didn't turn to look. Whoever had shot it could kill us if they wanted, but they hadn't. A part of me didn't care if they did. My attention was focused on the mutants, but the sniper kept taking them out before I had a chance to.

When no more came, I checked my pip-boy. It only displayed three blips on the radar, so I turned it off, heading towards the sniper. I don't even know what possessed me to, but I guess I wanted to know who had been sucking my fun, even if they did save me once. It was a male, wearing a white pre-war suit and heading to the entrance of Underworld. I knew it was him because of the sniper rifle attached to his back.

"Wait up!" I called.

I head him groan before he turned around. I stopped in my tracks. Sure, I had seen ghouls before, but never ones with hair, let alone a full mustache.

"Look, I've told you before, I don't know who you are, nor will I help you," he growled. "Thanks for the help, but I don't have time for you. Besides, looks like you've hired a mercenary."

"What?" I questioned. "As far as I know, we haven't met before."

"God, is your brain more messed up than back on the island?"

I knew for a fact that I had never met this ghoul. I was sure he would feel familiar, like everything else. No, I had never known him.

"I've never met you before," I stated. "My name is Mei."

"You sure?"

I nodded. "What is your name?"

"Desmond."

Nope, still nothing. "I lost my memory about two weeks ago, but I know that I've never seen you before."

"If you lost your memory, then how can you be sure?"

"I can't, but... Everything that I knew before I damaged my temporal lobe has a sense of… familiarity, I guess you could say. You don't ring any bells, but-"

"Nice story. Don't care," he interrupted. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got business to attend to."

"Wait," Charon said from behind me. "Did the person you mistook Mei for… What was her name?"

"She couldn't tell me," he stated. "Didn't even know it herself."

"Did she look like Mei?" he continued questioning.

"Yes, but now that I look closer, the eyes are different. Hers were more… amethyst, where this girl's are sapphire."

"Kari," I whispered. "Please, do you have any information on her? Where she is, where she's heading?"

"I left her after we came back from Point Lookout," he replied. "She didn't say anything about where she was headed. She didn't know anything about herself, but she did mention something about going off to find herself."

I looked up at Charon, who nodded. It looked like we were headed to the pier to Point Lookout.

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

I waved goodbye to Nadine and Desmond. Nadine was quite crazy, but I liked her. Desmond was her polar opposite. He was quiet and quick to snap, but if you chose your words carefully, he wasn't half bad. I wished I had found something about myself in Point Lookout, but something told me I had never stepped foot there before.

I brought up my pip-boy screen. It appeared that I was pretty close to a place called Rivet City, which had a note that said, "Tell Harkness," but what was I going to tell him? Maybe if I could get to him, I would remember. To get to Rivet City, I would have to cross the river.

"Hey, Nadine, can you give me a quick lift across the river?" I requested, returning to the boat.

"No prob, buddy," she replied. "Hop on and we'll get going!"

I stood near the front of the boat by the railing as it lurched into life. It tilted rather sharply to the right, and I wondered if Nadine truly knew what she was doing. I clutched onto the railing tightly, hoping that I wouldn't fall in.

It wasn't until we were safe on the other side that I left go. My fingers were red from gripping so tightly, but I flexed them a few times and they looked a bit better. I exited the ferry, thanking Nadine for the transport. I checked my pip-boy a couple of times to make sure that I was headed in the right direction. All I could see ahead of me was a giant, rusty ship off in the distance. Was that really Rivet City?

There were people gathered around by some two-headed cows that had barrels strapped to them. They all gave me rather hostile looks as I approached, but I ignored them. My pip-boy said that I was right on top of the city, so I knew it had to be the ship. I made my way up top, and began to cross the bridge. I made the mistake of looking down, and I felt sick to my stomach. Great. I had a fear of heights.

"Stop there," someone from the other side of the bridge said. "State your business."

The man's voice was familiar. I was pretty sure that I knew him before I lost my memory.

"I-I'm looking for a man named Harkness," I told him. "According to my pip-boy thing, he's here, or at least, _was._ I'm not… not really sure of how long I was out."

The man narrowed his eyes, as if trying to get a better look.

"H-Hikari?" he questioned. "Is that really… Is it really you?"

"I don't know," I replied, but something inside of me responded when he said it. "Yeah, I think so."

The man ran forward, pulling me into his arms. Something about it felt familiar, and comforting, as though I had done this before.

"Oh, Hikari, I was told you were dead. We all were," he muttered as he held me tighter.

"I have no clue what's going on," I told him. "I can't remember anything. I think I'm Hikari. It has a familiar ring to it."

"You _are_ Hikari," he replied, releasing me. "Your pip-boy says it all. Only people from the Vaults have those, not to mention the fact that you have the Vault number plastered onto your clothes. Come on inside and we'll talk. I'll get Danvers to cover my shift."

I nodded. I don't really know why, but I trusted him. He had an air of security about him. I followed him inside. He caught a woman on the stair well, and he asked her to guard the front. She agreed, but only if he covered for her later.

Once we were in a quiet area, we were able to talk.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know your name," I told him.

"I'm Harkness," he replied. "Why were you trying to find me?"

"I've… Well, I can't remember anything from the time that I woke up not too long ago."

"So, you've lost your memory?" he questioned. "Tell me what you _can _recall."

"I don't remember anything," I stated. "I woke up in some weird place called the Citadel. There was some sort of battle going on, so I slipped out during the chaos. I tried to go to some museum that I had a note attached to, but there was a creature that almost drowned me. I woke up on a ferry that was headed to a place called Point Lookout. I spent some time there helping out a ghoul who was fighting a brain. We won, but while doing some of the work, someone had dug around in my head and actually pulled out a part of my brain. I was counted one of the lucky ones. I didn't lose my mind. Well, figuratively. I guess I kinda did lose a part of it. Anyway, I found the person who did it, but he attacked me and I was forced to kill him, but I didn't want to. It didn't really seem right. I got back here and decided to come to Rivet City."

"Wow," was all he managed to say. "Sounds like a good welcome back party. I have some details, but not all of them. You, your sister, and the ghoul went to the Jefferson Memorial to take back some project that your dad had been working on, but was seized by the Enclave. The project was designed to give out pure water to the wasteland, but the control room was filled with a bunch of radiation. Someone had to start it, and it was you who sacrificed yourself in order to start it. But, Three Dog said that the Brotherhood of Steel claimed you dead. The Citadel is the headquarters of the Brotherhood of Steel."

I soaked up every word that he said, analyzing every detail. I could somehow tell that he was not lying to me.

* * *

~Mei's POV~

I saw the dock up ahead. There was a single boat sitting there, and it was in decent condition. I approached it and narrowly avoided a bullet to the leg. A flash of red was seen from the window, and I knew exactly where the person was. Charon and I held our guns at the ready, in case whoever it was tried anything. A girl popped out of the room, ready to fire her pistol, but she stopped, lowering her gun.

"Buddy? Whatcha doing here?" she questioned.

"What?" I questioned. "Wait, did someone who looks just like me travel from Point Lookout?"

"Yeah, but why?"

"Good. Where is she?"

"Well she's not here anymore," I was told. "I dropped her off on the other side of the river. She said something about going to Rivet City."

"How long ago?"

"Why do you need to go?"

"She's my sister, and I need to find her."

"The poor girl can't even remember her own name," she stated. "Said she was trying to find herself. I'm Nadine, by the way."

"Mei," I replied. "And this is Charon. Could you give us a ride to the other side of the river?"

"Well, I guess so," Nadine said. "But it'll cost ya."

"But it's only to the other side!"

"Exactly. You wanna get there? I need caps to keep her running," she said, patting the side of the boat.

"Whatever. Just get us there as fast as possible."

"Okay, fifty caps for the two of you and we're in business. Caps upfront."

I sighed and pulled them out of my pip-boy before handing them to her. I was really low, but I didn't know if Charon had any. I hoped that he did. If he didn't, we'd have to find jobs in Rivet City or somewhere around to pay for food and lodging.

The trip was nerve wracking as the boat tipped from side to side on the waves. My legs were like jelly by the time that we reached the other side. Charon was a lot steadier and walked off with no problem. It took me only a moment before I was able to stand upright, and then we headed towards Rivet City. We got there in just a few hours, and we only came across a couple of Super Mutants and their guard dogs, which Charon said were Centaurs. Those creatures freaked me out. They just weren't... natural. I almost got hit by whatever stuff it spat at me, but Charon pulled me out of the way.

There were a bunch of Brahmin and security guards outside, and I guessed them to be the unlucky people who got to deliver the pure water. That must have sucked. They were definitely a target of raiders and the like, and I know I wouldn't want that job, but it needed to be done. Charon and I walked right by them and up the stairs to the metal ship that Charon said was Rivet City.

"Where should we start?" I asked Charon.

"Harkness," he replied. "If Hikari was here, then he would have found her."

"Okay, but where do I find him?"

He shrugged. "Ask around."

I spotted a security guard doing his rounds where I could find the said man.

"What do I look like, his body guard? Go bother someone else," he snapped.

Charon sent him a death glare before he hurried off. I wandered around the ship, hoping that we could find him in the giant ship. The odds seemed against me. I asked plenty of people, but no one seemed to care. That is, until I came across one woman.

"Harkness? He requested a couple weeks off," she stated. "He left me in charge and took that Hikari girl to Megaton. I don't really know why."

"Okay, thanks," I replied. "About how long ago?"

"About three days," she stated.

So she had been there, but left for Megaton, probably to our house. I rushed out, even though I had no idea how to get to Megaton from Rivet City. I was sure Charon would know. I had him take the lead once we had descended down the steps and onto solid ground. Charon insisted that we stopped for the night, but I refused, pressing on to Megaton.

Once morning came around, my feet were aching, my head was pounding, and my steps were more sluggish. When the scrap metal city came into view, I nearly collapsed right then and there, but I kept going. Kari was right beyond those gates with Harkness. I could feel it.

The whirring mechanisms sprang to life, causing me to shield my eyes. I practically ran into the city, ignoring the stares from the people around. I spotted the man known as Lucas Simms up ahead, and I ran up to him, asking him about Kari.

"Hikari? Look, girl, you know more than us," he stated. "She's dead. Remem-"

"No!" I interrupted. "No, she's alive. People have seen her! She was headed here with the chief of security at Rivet City!"

"Well, I haven't seen her," he replied. "Check your house? I could've missed 'em coming in."

I nodded and rushed up to the house, hoping to find Kari there. The only being in it was Wadsworth, who putted around as he cleaned.

"Wadsworth, has Kari been here?"

"Mistress Hikari? No, she has not."

I sighed in exasperation. She was supposed to be there. I was supposed to be reunited with her. Had they gotten lost? Captured? Killed? I fell to the floor, feeling crushed. They could be anywhere, dead, or worse. I had already lost Kari once, but I didn't think I could handle losing her again, even if I had never even found her. I had true hope for the first time that I could remember.

"What shall we do now?" Charon inquired.

I didn't respond, only sat there. I didn't want to move or do anything. I wanted to sit there and wallow in my despair.

"Mei?" he asked again.

"I don't know."

I was shocked by the sound of my own voice. It was so... dead. It reflected how I felt and hopefully he would take the hint.

"They may have just gotten lost," he said.

Lie. Kari may have lost her memory, but she still should have her pip-boy. And this Harkness guy... Kari must mean a lot to him for him to have requested leave just to take her here. I doubted he would let anything happen to her. Maybe... Maybe they were still alive somewhere. I couldn't give up. Not yet.

"Why don't we wait here for a while?" Charon suggested. "Maybe they have simply gotten side-tracked."

From what I remembered of Kari, she was a kind person, and she helped everyone in need, like Bryan Wilks. I remember that incident quite well.

"Perhaps you're right," I replied. "But no more than a week."

He nodded and left to do something. I went outside and headed to the gate. I took the shaking metal stairs up to the top where the sentry was. I think his name was Stockholm. I don't exactly remember he gave me an odd look that told me I should be up with him, but I brushed it off. I wanted to be able to see Kari if she really was on her way. I stared off into the horizon as the guy paced behind me. I saw the traders down by the gate with their Brahmin, looking around for anyone to sell their wares again. I think his name was Crow. His caravan guard stood with a look of pure boredom. His face betrayed nothing, but the way he stood, I could tell.

"Why are you even up here?" Stockholm inquired.

"It's my own business," I stated.

"Well, how long do you plan on being here?"

"I won't be coming up here for more than a week, hopefully less."

He sighed and went back to his pacing. I stared back off into the wastes, and I felt exhausted. I hadn't slept in over a day, but I wanted to wait for Kari. I don't really know how long I sat there, just staring at the desolate wastes, watching the dust clouds roll by. There were a couple raiders, but the sentry took them out before they got too close with his hunting rifle. I had to admit, his aim was pretty good.

I felt a hand on my shoulder after a while, and I turned around to see Charon. He had a plate with Salisbury steak, insta mash, and a bottle of water from Wadsworth's dispenser. He handed it to me and told me that I needed to eat.

"I'm not hungry," I told him.

"Your sister was the same way," he stated. "Now eat. You need to."

"I don't want to," I replied. "I'm fine."

He stared at me with his filmy eyes, and I stared back. He thrusted the plate into my hands.

"Eat, or I will be forced to feed you."

I frowned. I doubted he would actually shove it down my throat, but you never know. He was a lot stronger than me and I didn't want to take any chances. There still was that part of him that might not hesitate. I picked at the mash and meat, but he made me eat the whole plate before he took it back.

"What about you?" I questioned. "Shouldn't you eat?"

"I already have," he retorted before he turned to leave.

I scowled at his retreating form. Sometimes I wished he wasn't so watchful. With my stomach full, I felt even sleepier, and I had to fight even more to stay awake. I don't really know how much time had passed before I had fallen asleep.

* * *

After notes:

Yeah, so that's all I really have planned so far. I've got a general idea where to go from here, though. But my goodness, I missed writing in Hikari's POV. It was nice to do it again. And this means she is alive. Do not worry. All will be revealed. :)

Spring Break is now over. That means that I won't be updating nearly as fast. And my friend and I (Well, _I _did) made a contract for Charon, and we share it, but I lost it. If you're reading this, I's sorry, Mara. I'll try to make another one, and maybe the third time's the charm. I love you!

I think I've made quite a bit of progress in this story so far, and I thank the people who have reviewed/favorited/subscribed to this story/the prequel. It really gives me the urge to write more. I almost gave up earlier this week with all of the ideas for other stories going on in my head/when I was sick, but the reviews reminded me of how much I enjoy writing this, so thanks.

If you notice any typos, grammatical errors, or any of the like that I may have missed, please point them out so I can fix them. Also, feel free to let me know what you think of the story or if you have any ideas. I'm open to those, since all I had planned is finished. Much appreciated, HikariMei. :)


	6. Chapter 6: Found

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Fallout 3. I only own Mei, Hikari, and my laptop.

Songs of inspiration: Appalachian Morning by Robert Sheldon and Dam Dadi Doo by Nightcore. I do not own the people or the songs, etc. etc.

* * *

Chapter 6: Found

A week had passed, and still no Kari. I was beginning to worry even more, and my heart sank. I packed my stuff and Charon packed his. He had left for a few hours each day and returned with caps and supplies to keep us going. As we were leaving Megaton in search for Kari, I heard the familiar sound of a missile propelling itself forward through the air. I dodged just barely, scraping my arm on a jagged piece of metal jutting from the outer wall of the city. Charon was instantly on them, his shotgun firing off like mad. I soon joined in the fight, ignoring the pain and the blood gushing from my arm.

The armor of our foes seemed tough, but not as tough as it could have been. It took quite a few shots in order to pierce it. By that time, I was nearly out of ammo for my assault rifle. I still had the 10 mm and the .32 mm, but they were not nearly as powerful.

I dodged a few more missiles as they flew through the air. The Protectron that guarded the city of Megaton was not so lucky. Metallic parts flew as it came in contact. I fired off my last round against the mercenaries, and I saw that Charon was nearly out. I wondered how much Stockholm had stockpiled up from his lookout, but I prayed it was enough.

I began to feel dizzy from the loss of blood, but the mercs were losing ground. I fired my last magazine off at them, activating V.A.T.S. I prayed that it would help me to aim with the shaking that had begun in my arm. I nearly forgot what was happening when the last soldier fell. Exhaustion mixed with the loss of blood made me fall to the ground. I felt my conscious slipping as darkness flooded my vision.

* * *

~Charon's POV~

Poor kid. I find myself thinking that a lot about her and about Hikari. Both had such terrible luck upon leaving the safety of Vault 101. Then again, they had adapted quite well, but the wastes were not a forgiving, merciful place. Kill or be killed.

She had fallen, but the sheriff told me to check the bodies to see if there was any kind of identification on them. He picked her up and assured me that she would be okay. He said that since she had defended the town from another raid, he would repay her by paying for the medical bills. I nodded and reminded myself that I was not bound to anyone. I went to check the bodies, and I came across a holotape. I played it, and was surprised at what I heard:

_Umm… I just talk into this thing? Just say anything? Okay… Hello. I don't really know what to say. I don't really remember much, but I woke up in some place called the Citadel, and there was a battle. I left, and was attacked in a river. I fell and I think I almost drowned. I woke up on a boat to Point Lookout. There was a lot of smoke in the area, and the guy on the boat said that it wasn't there when he left. Nadine and I went to explore, but someone started to shoot at us and he sent two dogs after us. Nadine ran off, but I went to investigate. The dogs didn't attack me, for some reason, and the person stopped shooting. It was a ghoul. I don't really know how I knew what he was. He told me that we were about to be attacked, and we managed to keep the tribals at bay. I helped to discover the source of the tribals, but they took out a part of my brain. I met back up with Nadine there and she got rid of my scar. Some brain thing was controlling the tribals, and Desmond, the ghoul, and I got rid of him. We parted ways and I went to Rivet City to find someone named Harkness. He told me my name was Hikari Mansen. I… Is that enough?_

There were some odd noises that didn't seem human. After they were done, Hikari spoke up again. _Wait, what is that for? Harkness, what-? No! _An odd sound that was similar to shock waves echoed before Hikari shouted, _No! Leave him alone! _She cried out in pain as the sound issued again, and the tape stopped.

Furiously, I re-entered Megaton, and headed to Doc Church's office. That would be where Hikari had been taken. When I entered, I could smell blood everywhere. Despite common belief, ghouls have a perfect sense of smell. She was on the table, the doctor working over her to stitch up the large gash on her arm. She was a lot more pale than usual, and I was honestly worried about her.

I waited for her to wake before I would show her the holotape. She would need to know so we could find her sister.

* * *

~Mei's POV~

My head was ringing as I sat up, and my vision was foggy. I blinked a couple times, and things came into focus. The rather rude, prideful doctor sat at his computer terminal, and Charon was by my side. He had an odd, almost hopeful look on his face. He held up a holotape that I stored in my pip-boy. I played it from the speaker, and I knew it was Kari. Her voice was so familiar, and I listened intently to the tape. The other noises I heard were not familiar at all, though.

"What... what was that thing in the background?" I asked.

"I do not know," he replied. "It is not of this world."

I struggled to sit up, but Charon gently pushed me back down, saying that I needed rest.

"But what about Kari? She needs us!"

"I will search for her. You must rest."

I glared at him, but I knew he was right. My arm killed, and I had taken a shot to the stomach and several more to my leg that I hadn't even noticed during the heat of the battle. "But where will you go?"

"I will search the wastes and I will find her," he replied. "I will return after a month, and you may join me then. But until that time, you need rest. You are pushing yourself too hard."

Again, I sent a glare his way. I knew he was just looking out for me, but I had to find Kari. She was my world, and I loved her. At least, that's what my recalled memories told me. I sighed, but gave in. "Doc, hit me with some more med-x."

"Be cautious," Charon said. "You do not want to become addicted to it."

"Yeah, yeah," I said. "Whatever."

I smirked as the hypo pierced my skin. Sweet relief flowed through my veins dulling the pain that swelled through my body. I couldn't help but sigh, even though Charon gave me a look that reminded me of what he had just said.

"The faster you get out of here, the sooner I can join you. Get out of here," I told him. "And be sure to bring her back as soon as possible. I don't really want to be stuck here for that long."

He nodded and turned to leave. Hopefully, I wouldn't be waiting that long.

* * *

~Charon's POV~

I was surprised that Mei had agreed so easily to my proposition. I thought for sure that she would come, but maybe her memory wipe made her see reason. I hoped that was it. Dealing with her would be simpler. I would be grateful for that.

I began to wander aimlessly, heading north. If the noises on the recording really were alien, they probably were near the highest point in the Capital Wasteland. Maybe she was there, maybe she wasn't. Maybe it was all a hoax by the mercenaries that attacked us. How would they even get such a holotape? Maybe Hikari wasn't even alive. Maybe... there were too many maybes. Since I was employed by the twins, my solid "Yes," and "No," quickly turned into "Maybe," and I didn't like it. I thought all people in the wastes looked out for themselves, or if they did look out for another person, it was for caps or a favor, but Mei and Hikari watched one another's backs because they loved each other. They had known each other since birth, and I guess that changes things. An upbringing in a _vault_ changes things. Changes _people._

I sighed and kept my shotgun at the ready as I kept my visage wary. If I died, Mei would probably die, and Hikari would never be rescued from wherever she was, if she was even alive.

By nightfall, I had only come across a few raiders and some mole rats. I stripped the mole rats for food and raided the make-shift camp that the raiders had set up. With any luck, I would reach the mountains by the end of the following day, but I had a feeling my luck was about to run out.

xXx

I was exhausted from lack of sleep as the mountains came into sight, and I heard an odd noise, much like the one on the holotape had made. It was quite odd, but I held my shotgun close and ready to fire. Suddenly, my body froze. I was caught in a blue light, and I felt my body lift off of the ground. I tried to fight it, but there was no use. I let myself glide up in the beam, fighting to stay awake.

When the light disappeared, everything was dark. A bright, white light abruptly invaded my vision, and I felt around for my shotgun. There was none. I wouldn't go down without a fight. There was no way that was possible. I heard more of the strange noises, exactly like the ones from the tape.

"Who are you? Where is Hikari?"

More of the noises came forth before one stepped into the light. They weren't ugly, per say, but more odd and awkward-looking, with giant, beetle-black eyes, big heads, long, thin arms, and green skin. It approached with an odd hypo filled with glowing green liquid. There was no way I was letting the thing that held it inject it into my body. I grabbed it and injected it into its own body. It writhed before falling still. So, either they were hostile and just tried to kill me, or they were deathly allergic to their own medicine. I'm going with being hostile.

More were on me, some with their fists, others with odd, blunt weapons that glowed with electricity that hurt like a motherfucker. I managed to keep some off, but they just seemed to be coming. I was trained especially for this kind of fighting, but I had never fought any kind of enemy like them. I had no knowledge of their anatomy, no pressure points, no vulnerable spots, nothing. I tried the human spots, but there was no reaction.

Suddenly, I felt a sharp, piercing pain in my back. My body froze and I collapsed to the floor, unable to fight back. They all gathered around me as my mind began to slip into unconsciousness.

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

I heard the aliens shouting and went over to see what was happening.

"I'd stay away from there, if I was you," my cell mate, Somah, warned. "The aliens don't take kindly to us getting that close."

"But there seems to be something going on," I told her. "Can't you hear it?"

"No, and I don't want to," she replied. "What I want is to get out of here."

"Well, this may be our chance. Sally's probably going to take the opportunity to explore some more. Maybe she'll let us out if we ask her."

"Try all you want, I don't think that kid's gonna let us out after what happened last time."

Last time. I remembered that all too well. Somah and I tried to make a break for it, but they froze us with some sort of shot from the bigger of the two types of guns that they carried on the ships. They yelled a lot (at least, I think it was yelling) at us all and we were nearly starved before they actually fed us, and then it was just more of that weird food that seemed to slither down your throat, and I had no idea what it was. I had a feeling that I didn't want to.

I heard the two aliens approaching as well as a drone. Instead of backing off, I felt drawn to the scene. The person, well ghoul was familiar. Too familiar. It was _him_ that I was drawn to. His features, or rather, lack thereof, were recognized in some part of my memory, but in what part I had no idea.

"Charon!" I called out.

I had no knowledge of where my outburst had come from, but something hit me, like an explosion from one of the pre-war cars. I saw this ghoul, Charon, with me, holding me. I felt sick to my stomach and weak. He ran his fingers through my hair, and everything felt okay for that moment. I was dying then. I could tell. He whispered to me, telling me that I would be okay, but I was set against it. I don't know how I survived, but I did. Strong emotions ripped through me; Sorrow, happiness, comfort, relief, grief, heartache… I felt them all at once, and was overwhelmed.

"Charon!" I shouted again. "Charon, no!"

He looked weak, not like the strong ghoul I had remembered. I pounded against the invisible barrier that held me in the room, calling for the ghoul I knew that I loved. One of the aliens gestured to my cell, more likely to me. Another one left and came over to the door, waving his arms and saying something that I didn't understand.

"Let me out!" I screamed, tears overflowing. "Let me out now! Charon! You stupid aliens, I said let me out!"

My fists flew through the air, not stopping where they should have. I pushed the aliens aside before rushing to Charon's side.

"Charon, Charon, wake up! Please, wake up!" I was overcome with emotion, and my voice began to crack. "Charon! Wake up!"

I felt the aliens tugging at me, but I pushed them away, fighting to stay by his side. I knew Charon; of that much I was sure. I loved him, but I was not certain he returned my feelings. I was dragged away by the robot, whose metal pincers dug into my skin, bruising my arm. I didn't care. I still struggled against it. They would have to sedate me to get me to calm down. And they did. I felt a needle pierce my shoulder and I fell limp, my vision and sight fading.

xXx

Slowly, my eyes opened. My head hurt and my body was stiff. "How long was I out?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Somah questioned. "It's not me that has the watch."

I glanced down at my pip-boy, running a hand through my messy, greasy hair. I estimated about a day. I wished I knew what they wanted us for.

"Hey!" a small, muffled voice called from the vent. "I'm commin' in!"

Sally. It had been a few days since she visited. She plopped to the floor, looking up at me with curious eyes, but I was in no mood to talk. I felt strangely depressed.

"What was that guy that came in last night?" she asked.

"What, you never seen a ghoul before?" Somah questioned.

"That's what he is? A ghoul? What's that?"

"It's what too much radiation does to your body when it doesn't kill you. I'm wondering myself _who_ he was, though… Charon, you said, but what connection do you have to him?"

I looked over at her before sighing. "From what I remember, a deep one. He was just a mercenary, but I loved him. He tried to comfort me when I was sick and dying. I don't know how we got separated, but I don't want to lose him…"

"You fell in love with a _ghoul_? There somethin' wrong with you?"

"Charon was there for me in my greatest hour of need," I told her. "He has been my rock and I think he would do anything to save me. Why else would he be here? I don't think it's just coincidence."

"Whatever," she said before retreating to the other side of the room.

That phrase… That simple word was so familiar. I had heard it many times before, but not by Somah. I had not known her until I had stepped foot on the ship. Someone else that I had been around for a long time must have said it. Something in my head told me it wasn't Charon.

"Hikari, do you… do you want to see him? I can let you out, if you want."

"Please," I replied, wiping the tears that had threatened to overflow.

I gave her a boost into the vent. Not a moment later, she was standing outside of my cell. I muttered a word of thanks before she led me to where she said he was being held. I saw him in the room, lying on some sort of hospital bed, much like the ones that they experiment with us on. Sally punched in the code to disable the shield. Charon was still weak from whatever I guessed they shot him with. Probably a very strong sedative.

"Charon, can you hear me?" I whispered. "Charon, please, it's Hikari. Wake up…"

I reached out to stroke the muscle on his decaying cheek, and he was warm to the touch.

"Is he dead?" Sally inquired softly.

"No," I replied. "No, he's very much alive. I'm guessing that he was given a sedative of some kind, and he's trying to wake up."

I stroked his cheek, tracing the spots of exposed muscle. I briefly wondered if I was hurting him, but I didn't think so. I knelt by the bed, holding his hand against my cheek and tracing the patterns of skin along his arm. I hummed a familiar melody, hoping that he would wake up soon. I felt his arm twitch slightly before he slowly opened his eyes.

"Charon," I said. "Charon, you're awake! Thank God."

"Hikari? Is... is it really you?"

I nodded. "Charon, I've been so confused. I lost my memory, but when I saw you, I remembered you and what I think was Project Purity. I was dying, Charon. I don't know how I survived, but-"

Charon made a shushing noise, and I fell silent. "No need to talk so much. I'm glad I finally found you, kid."

I smiled at him through the tears as he moved his hand through my hair. He half-smiled, but it was then that I could hear the noises of the aliens down the hall. There was no way I was going to let them touch Charon, if that was what they were after.

They entered the room and gestured Sally and me, and then at the door, making more of the weird noises. I stood my ground. There was a drone with a tray of sharp objects. I knew from experience that it hurt like heck when they used those on you. They used no med-x whatsoever and I was not letting them near Charon with those. I shook my head and stood up in front of Charon.

"I'm not letting you touch Charon," I told them. "You'll have to go through me."

"Hikari, don't-"

"No, I remember that it was you who had always protected me, and now it's time that I returned the favor. You guys will not harm Charon while I am still able to fight back."

"I think we're in trouble," Sally whispered.

"I don't care. They aren't harming Charon. I won't let them."

One pulled out a shock baton and waved it threateningly, but I stood my ground, sending him a challenging glance. If it were only me, I would back down, but this was someone I truly cared about.

The alien charged me, letting out what I thought to be a battle cry. My reflexes seemed to be wired in my brain as I relinquished my control to the natural reactions. I jumped and leaned to the side, narrowly avoiding the swipe of the blunt, electrified object. Sally ran out of the room quickly, and Somah was nowhere to be found. I prayed that I would have her assistance as I jumped out the way of the baton again. I felt the bottom of my palm connect with the larger side of the shock baton; my other hand came in contact with the side of its head. The weapon flew from the alien's long, green fingers, but I felt electricity shoot through my body. I fell to the ground as another one of the creatures wielded a baton. I prepared myself for my punishment, closing my eyes and bracing for impact.

I opened my eyes when the pain didn't come. I glanced up at the figure standing over my body.

"Get out of here, kid!" Charon shouted. "Go find a weapon or something! I'm here for you, and I won't let you get hurt!"

"But, Charon-!"

"Go!" he interrupted. "I can't hold this one off for long, and the robot is bound to decide it needs to intervene. Get out and leave me!"

I jumped to my feet before rushing to the corner of the room where the alien had dropped its shock baton. I smacked it into the alien that Charon was fighting against. The drone chose that moment to intervene, knocking Charon to the side before advancing on me.

Abruptly, the sound of a shotgun pierced the air, and the drone had a large chunk of its head blown off. It fell to the ground with a metallic crash, and I looked up. Somah stood cockily with her shotgun held over her shoulder.

"Come on, kid. Let's get out of here," she said.

I nodded and turned to Charon. He struggled to get up, and I grabbed a hold of his arm.

"Lost your memory and still aren't afraid of ghouls?" he questioned.

"No, I guess not, but I remembered you," I replied. "Something, I guess just seeing you, triggered my memories. I remember a place, the Jefferson Memorial, I think. I was in a lot of pain, but you kept telling me everything would be okay. Charon, I-"

"Enough with the chit-chatting," Somah interrupted, "'cause we gotta get going. There are bound to be more of the green suckers commin'. The alarms are going off."

I sighed and nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Charon, can you walk?"

"Yes," he said, moving my hand off of him. He had a slight limp, probably from where the drone had thrown him, but he seemed okay otherwise. "Let us go."

* * *

After Notes:

I apologize for the wait. I've been caught up with schoolwork, lack of motivation, my friends from Maryland visiting, a baseball game which I was invited to, drama club, and my birthday back on Friday the 23, I haven't had the time to type it out, so again, I apologize.

Anyway, what do you think? I really like the idea for this chapter, and I have ArtisticLemur to thank for submitting the idea. I was really drawing a blank here, so thanks.

The holotape will be explained in the next chapter, as well as where Harkness has gone. I really enjoyed writing the reunion in part this chapter. That was when I listened to the first song mentioned. We're actually going to be playing it in band, and I like it.

Please review and let me know what you think and if you see any errors. I have spell and grammar checked it, along with reading it over myself a couple times, but I'm human and subject to error. Much appreciated, HikariMei.


	7. Chapter 7: Waking Up

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Only Hikari and Mei. And my laptop. Tha' be it.

Song of Inspiration: My Boy by Buono. I own neither the song nor Buono. I just find them very inspirational. :)

* * *

Chapter 7: Waking Up

~Charon's POV~

_Hikari, if I could only put into words how light-hearted I was after we came back into contact after so long. I tried to promise myself that I would never let myself become attached to anyone like I had with the only other employer to show me kindness, but I broke that promise shortly after I met you. I wasn't myself after we met. You showed me much compassion and generosity, despite my hideous appearance. I despised you for it, but I grew to love you, though I would never admit it aloud. I would fight my way through every single alien barehanded if I had to in order to keep you safe._

I picked up my long-time best friend of the wastes: my shotgun. It was the only thing that I had received when I left the specialized training academy. I had received dog tags as well, but those were now in the possession of Hikari. I loaded it and turned off the safety. I guessed that the aliens had some sort of fascination with human weapons, because it was in perfect condition. I looked over every aspect and was beyond satisfied. Hikari wielded a plasma rifle that she had received as a gift from the android, Harkness.

"What happened to Harkness?" I questioned. "Did you not come here with him?"

"How did you-"

"A holotape on the body of a merc," I explained. "No idea how he got it, but it had you one it telling about yourself."

Tears filled her eyes as I looked down upon her. Her expression was similar to when she had lost her father, although not as sad.

"H-he… They…. The aliens, they… they opened him up in front of me… but… he wasn't human. They did experiments. I tried to look away. It was too horrible. They took him away. I don't know where, but they did. I-"

I put my finger over her lips to hush her. "No need to tell any more."

She nodded and wiped her eyes.

We pressed on, weapons in hand, ready to take down any of the things that stood in our way. My shotgun alongside Somah's and Hikari's plasma rifle made quick work of the creatures. That is, until we came to a dead end. The door was locked and there was no visible way of opening it. The aliens seemed to be drawn towards us, and we were losing ammo fast. Hikari had gotten hit by the blue plasma-like material that shot out of the advanced weaponry. She winced, but I noticed that her skin began to knit itself together as we kept firing. I wasn't aware of what had happened until I felt a tug on the back of my armor. I was pulled into darkness as the door shut in front of me.

"Hikari, light," Somah said in the darkness.

Instantly, there was a small amount of light. It wasn't much, but it was enough to see one another and our surroundings.

"Thanks, Sally," Hikari said. "You came just in time."

"No problem," the small girl that I hadn't noticed said in a high pitched, irritating voice. "Just glad to see that you guys are all okay."

"I don't know if we would've been if you hadn't intervened," I admitted. "How the hell do we get off of this ship?"

"Well, we probably have to find the captain," Sally said. "I know right where he is!"

I gave her a skeptical look, but Hikari spoke up. "She's been here since before the war. They kept her locked in a cryo freeze chamber, but she can sneak in and out of her cell when they have her defrosted. She knows the layout of the ship better than the aliens, I'd bet."

"Very well. Which way?"

She smiled childishly and motioned for us to follow. "This way!"

We crept through the darkness until a light up ahead appeared, and I could vaguely pick up the squabbling sounds of the green things up ahead, and I motioned for them to stop. If I could take at least one out without them noticing, things would be a lot easier.

The two aliens just stood and have what I believe to be a conversation. Their weapons were of the smaller kind and they were holstered. I crouched down and carefully aimed my shotgun. My finger slowly pressed down on the trigger and released the fury within. The resounding shot was a lot louder than I had expected, but I managed to take out one of the aliens. Its green gore spread across the wall and the other alien just as Hikari and Somah joined in the fight and fired their weapons at the hostile creature.

The aliens that had been down a different hallway joined, also, but they easily fell with the others. We lowered our weapons after a moment, but Sally was nowhere to be seen. I glanced around, but could not find her. Somah was also searching, but Hikari seemed to be talking to the wall. I placed my hand on her shoulder, and she jumped slightly. That was when I heard the voice from the wall.

"Just wait here. I'll be right back."

"We will," Hikari replied.

There was a moment of silence before I said, "Hikari, should we really trust her?"

"I don't see why we shouldn't," she told me with a sigh. "We'd be no worse off than if we didn't have her."

A moment later, there was a loud noise, like that of a grenade going off. There were a couple screams from some aliens, and then silence. I was about to rush off to see what the clamor was, but I felt Hikari grasp my arm. She didn't say anything.

"Phew!" the voice of Sally said as she exited the vent. "That was a bit messier than I thought it would be!"

"So it was a success?" Hikari questioned.

"Yep! All four are down, and with one grenade!"

"Thanks Sally."

"No problem," the small girl responded. "Now, follow me!"

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

I repressed thoughts of Harkness to the back of my mind. I hoped and prayed that he was alright, but I couldn't help the flow of thoughts that streamed through my head. Something told me that I used to know that he wasn't human, but I was still confused and worried.

"Hikari?" Sally said. "Are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah," I lied. "How much farther to the captain's quarters?"

"Not much longer. Just through… Wait, they cut the power! There's no way through!"

"So there's no way out of here?" Somah questioned.

"No, but it'll take a lot longer," the girl replied. "We have to destroy the generators… Wait! I got it!"

She turned around and ran through the adjacent room past a giant pillar that seemed to supply some sort of energy. I kept a sharp lookout for any aliens that may fire at us. There were none on my pip-boy radar that Charon had told me about, nor any within my range of sight.

"We gotta destroy the generators to make the air leave part of the ship. That way, they won't interfere when you go outside. In here!" Sally said. "These people have been here longer than I have. There's a space man, and if we're going to get to the other side of the ship, we're going to need his help. Now, how do we release them?"

I stared at the controls for a moment before pressing a button. A hissing sound resounded as some kind of gas released into the air. I coughed a bit, but it disappeared rather quickly.

"Oh, no!" came a cry from Sally as she walked over to the body of the astronaut. "He's dead! Now what?"

"I will take on the suit, and the responsibilities," Charon said. "He seems closest to my size. You, Hikari, and Somah are all too small."

"But, Charon-" I began.

"No," he interrupted. "This is not your task. You completed yours back at the memorial. I'm not letting you go again."

"He has a point, though," Somah added. "He _is_ the only one big enough."

I frowned and looked up at Charon. Just when I had something that was a tangible thing from my past, and it was slipping away, just like Harkness. I didn't know if they had even kept him alive, and I was worried that I would lose Charon, too.

I hadn't even noticed the tears that fell down my face until Charon wiped them away. He looked down with a concerned look, but I turned away to face the people that were waking up.

"Hikari-"

"Just help them wake up," I told him. "Make sure their vitals are good, like heart rate and respiratory."

He nodded and took on an emotionless expression. I had to admit, it frightened me how easily he could switch. I shoved the thought to the back of my head, and it mingled with all of the other ones I repressed while I let my instincts take over. The person I was examining was slowly breathing again, fairly shallow, but it was there. I found the pulse on the neck and wrist easily enough.

Slowly, the man came around, but he was a bit slow in moving.

"Wh-what happened?" he questioned, starting to freak out. "Where am I? Who are you? What are you going to do to me?"

"Calm down," I told him.

"N-no! You could be one of those... things in disguise! I-"

"Look, if I were an alien, then why would I have revived you? We're all human here. Just calm down."

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Sorry. I just got a bit... carried away. I'm Elliot."

"Hikari," I told him. "And the man over there is Charon, the girl is Sally, and the girl with the shotgun is Somah."

"Oh my god! What is that thing?" he shouted, pointing at Charon.

"It's only Charon. I take it you are from before the bombs dropped?"

"Wh-what bombs?"

"The bombs from the war in 2077. The whole world was pretty much destroyed, but we are slowly rebuilding it. The bombs, however, caused some side effects. Not only did some people get radiation sickness, which many died from, but some turned into what we call a ghoul. They are people who have been ultra-radiated, but have survived and become not only immune, but are actually healed by radiation," I explained. "It's a fascinating development, but their appearances are changed and there are many more things that have happened. They are generally shunned by society, but-"

"Hikari, this one speaks another language," Charon interrupted. "Can you interpret?"

"I don't think so," I replied. "Does he speak English?"

"No," Charon stated.

"Hikari?" I heard the man whisper.

He began to ramble on in what I believed to be Japanese, but I understood nothing. I tried to let him know, but he didn't understand me. Eventually, I gave up and went over to the final person, but Elliot was already reviving him.

"I was a medical officer for the army," he explained. "I worked in Anchorage, but it was terrible. I was miserable and cold all of the time but... enough about me. What about you guys? How did you guys manage to get in here?"

"Sally," I told him. "She's small enough to crawl through the vents, and she knows how to release the doors and other things like that. She's going to take us to the captain so we can get off of this ship."

"How can you trust her? She may be one of them!"

"I trust Sally. I'd still be locked in the cell if it wasn't for her."

He stared skeptically at the small girl who was bombarding Charon with questions. I kind of felt sorry for him, but it was rather funny to watch.

"And what about that Charon guy? I don't trust him, either."

"Charon and I have been together for quite some time," I told him. "In that time, he has saved me more times than I can count. He comforted me when I was sick and dying. I trust him with my life, and he is the one who is going to go up to the upper level to activate the transporter, after we destroy the generators."

"The world... Exactly how much has it changed?"

"I can't really say," I replied. "I lost my memory some time ago, but I've been slowly gaining it back. What I can say is that the world is a dangerous place down below. Super mutants, slavers, raiders, deathclaws, yao guai... they are all hunters, and we are the hunted. It's kill or be killed down there. You have to be tough to survive. Most of the water is radiated, but there is some pure water. Not much, though. I think there was something, though. A Project Purity..."

"Project Purity was the dream of both your mother and your father," Charon interrupted. "It was about giving pure water to the wastes. You were the one that nearly killed yourself in the process of finishing it. How you survived is a mystery, but that is for another time. Let us go."

I nodded. "Sally, where is the first generator?"

"There are three total. One in the cryo lab, one in the robot assembly department, and one in the hangar," she said. "That's the cryo lab."

"Well, into the cryo lab," I said with a sigh. "Charon, are you going to come or stay here?"

"I shall follow," he replied. "I do not wish to see you get hurt."

"Okay. Sally, stay here and watch over them."

"Ma'am, yes ma'am!" she said with a salute. "These people will not be harmed by any aliens!"

"Good."

* * *

~Charon's POV~

My goal was to get Hikari off of the ship, whether or not I was alive. I had lived my life, albeit one under control, but over two-hundred years' worth. She drew closer to me as we pressed on through the cold chambers. I figured it was because I was a ghoul, and ghouls, in general, are warmer than smoothskins.

That man, Elliot, was getting on my nerves. He was paranoid beyond belief and he insisted on following Hikari and me into the cryo lab. I wouldn't have minded if he had not talked so much and if he knew how to shoot straight, but he kept going on about his theories on why the aliens were abducting people. I honestly did not care.

The idiot wasn't the master of stealth, either. His armor clanked noisily as he perambulated the metal hallways, he shot too early at the aliens a couple times, making them notice us before I could do anything about it, he spent some time looking in different cryo chamber, and he even released some feral ghouls, what appeared to be raiders, and some super mutants. I had to admit that I was smirking when he first saw the monstrosities from the current world; I was sure that Hikari was probably thinking something along the same lines.

It took quite some time, but we found the generator. Hikari pressed some buttons before an alarm started to go off. Elliot, of course, started to freak out. I merely shook my head as Hikari and I began to move away from the generator. I could hear it explode behind us and the power flickered for only a moment. I was glad when we finally exited the cryo lab. Elliot stated that he wouldn't be joining us in any other chamber, and I rejoiced inside. I think that if he had joined us again, I may have ended up shooting him, and I don't think that Hikari would appreciate that.

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

The cryo lab was freezing and I was glad to get out of that place. I noticed that I was closer to Charon in there. Mostly because of the cold, but also I think because I haven't been with anyone that I was as emotionally close to. Still, I felt as though something was missing. It was a part of me, and I felt a bit hollow.

"I don't see why we should kill him," Elliot said as three of the released captives gathered around something. "Maybe we should try to… negotiate with it."

As I drew closer, it appeared as though they had somehow managed to capture one of the aliens; it was cowering in the corner of the room as they surrounded it.

"And how the hell are we supposed to do that?" Somah questioned. "We can't even understand what the thing is saying!"

"I don't know," he replied. "There must be some way-"

The man who had been silent since being awoken lifted his magnum and fired five shots into the alien's head.

"There's no sense in discussing it now," he said quietly before he holstered his gun and turned to walk away.

"Um…" I began.

The man stopped, but didn't look at me. "What the hell you want?"

"I'm Hikari," I said. "I'm afraid I didn't catch your name earlier."

"Paulson," he stated. "Just Paulson."

"You seem very upset," I told him. "But-"

"Really? I'm upset?" he scoffed with a small laugh. "I have the right to be upset right now, miss. Just… leave me be."

"Well, okay," I replied. "We're headed to the hangar to destroy the next generator, if you want to join us."

"Know what? I think I will," he responded. "Just lead the way. I want every one of those green men dead."

I nodded and Sally came up to us. "I guess you got the cryo lab generator taken care of. Which one next?"

"Hangar," I stated. "Where is it?"

"That door over there," she said as she pointed. "Don't get too close to the lightning rod things, though."

"Thanks for the warning."

The three of us headed off towards the hangar to shut down the next generator. Paulson proved to be very handy with his magnum, quickly and easily taking out the aliens. I enjoyed his quiet demeanor much more than Elliot's loud and paranoid one. It made things miles simpler and easier, not attracting the attention of every alien aboard the ship.

Something about him wasn't right, though; he seemed a bit _too_ calm in our situation, and too quiet, but whatever was eating at him didn't seem like anything he was going to be sharing anytime soon. But instead of dwelling on it, I focused on the task at head. Up ahead, I could see the towers that Sally had warned us about. They were tall, and they emitted strange waves of energy that I could feel rather than see. Paulson took the creatures out that were up testing the ship with only two shots each. I sometimes wished that I had his talent, but I know the burden that comes with it.

"Let's hurry this up," he said. "The sooner these… aliens are dead, the better."

I nodded and we began to head upstairs to look for the generator. We found it up by the control room, but there was a force field around the door. Paulson pressed a switch next to the door and an alarm began to go off. He swore under his breath. Aliens began to pour in along with their robots, drawn to the sound.

"All right, someone grab the controls and hit the switches when the aliens get close. The other person, guard the hallway on the right. I'll take left."

Charon immediately went to the doorway, leaving me with the controls. It took me a second to figure out which switch went with which towers, but I had it down. The first wave of aliens had managed to get by before I had even started to control the towers. I heard Charon and Paulson fire off their guns, but my attention was focused on what was going on below.

I avoided the fire of guns as the aliens noticed me. I pressed one of the buttons, causing the alien and a robot to go flying into a wall. I don't know how long we kept the fight going, but I began to grow weary. I knew my companions were probably worse off than I was. I briefly wondered how much ammo they both had. I didn't think Paulson would have much since he had just been defrosted. Yet, he kept shooting round after round. I could also hear Charon's shotgun keep firing, but I remembered that Charon kept a lot of ammo on his person at all times.

"Any more of you green bastards want a piece of me?" I heard Paulson shout. "Come get it!"

No more were coming, and the barrier dropped. Paulson was red-faced from anger, and his breathing was heavy.

"Paulson, calm down," I said in a soft voice. "They're gone now."

"I just wanna take one every single one in this whole ship," he seethed. "Those… aliens as you guys call them… they killed my wife and my boy. I want to rip-them-to-shreds! Bring more on!"

"Paulson, please," I replied. "It is understandable why you are mad, but we can't handle any more. We're all low on ammo, and Charon and I still have another generator to take out. Just, calm down."

He slowly lowered his breathing rate, taking slower, deeper breaths. "I apologize. I will try to control myself."

"And I am sorry for your loss," I said. "I understand the feeling of loss. I lost my memory, my whole identity, in a split second. Everything I was is nothing to me. I haven't felt right since, and I feel like I've lost someone important."

"Mei," Charon muttered.

I looked at him quizzically, but he turned and headed into the room with the generator. I followed, but… Who was Mei? The name seemed to fill me, but I couldn't remember who she was. I could hear her voice, almost, and her face was blurred. I couldn't recall who she was, but it was not the right time to fill in the gaps of my memory. We had a task at hand that needed completion.

I walked up to the generator and deactivated the cooling units. It began to glow, so we exited to room, heading for the exit. I heard the explosion behind us as we reached the door to leave the hanger. Parts flew out of the room when I glanced over, and that meant that there was only one more to go. The one in the robot assembly.

* * *

After Notes:

I think this is a good place to stop. I was going to make it longer, but then the next chapter would be too short. It probably still will be, but oh well. Let's save the rest of Mothership Zeta for another day.

The italicized bit at the beginning is just some thoughts that were running through Charon's head. I kinda liked that bit. Adding a bit of fluff in the killer alien ship.

I really like Mothership Zeta, but I haven't played it in a while. I just finished Point Lookout for my third time, with my new character, Jada Hailey. I've been thinking about a fanfic to write with her after I finish this series.

Aaand, I kinda lied. Harkness' location will be revealed in the next chapter for sure, along with the explanation of the holotape.

Well, feel free to drop a review and let me know what you think or if you see any grammatical/spelling errors. Much appreciated, HikariMei.


	8. Chapter 8: Taking it Down

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Fallout 3 or Fallout 3 related. Only Hikari and Mei. That is all.

Songs of Inspiration: Walk on the Water by Britt Nicole. I own neither the song nor the singer. Head Against the Sky by Eisley. Don't own Eisley or the song.

* * *

Chapter 8: Taking it Down

Somah decided to join us in our pursuit of the last generator. After it was completed, Charon would go up outside the ship. I prayed that there would be nothing wrong with the suit after it had been cryogenically frozen. I would rather it have been me to go up, but Charon was not going to let me. He said he cared too much and didn't want to lose me right after he had gotten me back.

Somah began to work on one of the ships many teleporters as Charon and I shot any of the drones before they got too close, along with a couple aliens. Suddenly, there was a glow from behind us and a weird buzzing. I turned around, and Somah had disappeared. I stared at the spot.

"Hey, kid!" I heard Somah call. "Over here!"

I turned to look and she was standing on another balcony.

"I don't know what I did, but I somehow teleported over here! I'll try to meet up with you later. Just try to destroy the generator!"

I nodded and Charon and I continued deeper into the bowels of the robot assembly. We destroyed many robots and aliens alike, not bothering to wait for them to attack first. If we did, it may have been the last thing we did. We kept going until we came to a dead end.

"Now what?" Charon asked.

I began to look around, and I spotted a weird, glowing blue thing on the wall. It looked like some sort of computer, and I tried to hack it, but to no avail. I got frustrated and hit the keyboard. Electricity seemed to swarm around it, and I simply stared at it. I felt Charon grab a hold of my shoulder and pull me out of the way, shielding me between his body and the opposite wall. The bigger part of me was not surprised that he did it, but there was a small part of me that was oddly surprised and a bit mad that he would risk his life for mine.

"That seems to have done the job," I heard Charon say. "There is a hole blown in the wall, and the production seems to have stopped. Let's go."

I nodded slowly and followed him into the tunnel. We climbed over broken, incomplete drones and avoided shots from aliens and drones up ahead, firing our weapons as we did so.  
The generator wasn't too far ahead, and we met back up with Somah on the other side of the tunnel. We exited the robot assembly, fear and apprehension writing in my stomach. I didn't want Charon to go up to the top of the ship by himself. I would rather it be me, especially since I noticed that I could heal. It was the logical choice, but I couldn't do anything. Maybe... Maybe I could talk him out of it. Maybe if I begged and reminded him that I could heal, he would let me go instead of him. I hoped it would work, but I had my doubts.

Charon stripped the suit off of the astronaut and began to slip it on.

"Charon?" I said, stopping his hand.

I avoided his eyes as I spoke. I could already feel the tears begin to form in my eyes, and I didn't want him to see me cry.

"Yes, Hikari?"

"Please, don't do this," I begged. "I just got someone solid back, someone I remember. I-I don't want to lose you. Charon, please, don't do this to me."

I heard Charon sigh and relax his arms. "Hikari, I cannot let you do this. I cannot lose you again-"

I looked up at him, letting the tears fall. "Charon, you know I can heal. Why won't you let me go? I have a higher probability of staying alive."

"It is not that. I am worried you will get captured by the aliens. They will experiment on you, they-"

"I don't care," I replied. "Let me go instead."

He shrugged my hand off as he turned around to finish putting on the suit. "I must be the one to go. You must understand this."

"That's the thing, Charon, I don't understand," I pressed, feeling frustration growing inside. "I understand that you want me to be safe, but I've already been experimented on. It's nothing new to me! They-"

He began to walk away, and the rage began to build. This was not the Charon that I remembered at the memorial. The one there wouldn't have walked away. I guessed that in that time that I was gone, something inside changed him. I watched angrily as he entered the chamber, not even bothering to turn around. Sally stood at the controls. I felt frustrated, upset, and just plain mad inside. Mad at Charon for ignoring me, mad at him for abandoning me, mad at the aliens for taking Harkness and me, mad the aliens for taking everyone here, mad at them for experimenting on us, mad at them for trying to kill us, mad at myself for just letting Charon go in there alone, mad at myself for not remembering anything...

The door closed as he reached forward to press a button, and an alarm began to go off. I felt my heart sink, but I had to wait until he started up the transporter.

* * *

~Charon's POV~

As Hikari begged for me not to go, I couldn't look at her. I knew that my resolution would be dissolved in an instant. What was happening to me? I went from hardcore trained, gruff, no-nonsense mercenary, never bothered by the tears of others, to someone who was weak, questioning himself and the life and ideas that I once clung to. I was getting weak, soft. It was the girl's fault. She had given me my own contract and set me free. It was awkward at first, but I kept the ideas with me as I protected and watched out for Mei. She had Talon Company Mercs coming for her nearly every day, and I fended them off. I never let go of my ideals, until I knew that Hikari was alive. She had broken me out of the contract, and I hated her for it. She made me want to watch out for her, to protect her.

I avoided her eyes as I continued to pull the suit on. When I deemed it secure, I headed into the decompression chamber. I could feel her presence behind by Sally as the door closed. I pressed the button, and an alarm began to go off. Oxygen was sucked out of the room, and the door up ahead of me opened up. There was a dead alien sitting on the floor in the room up ahead, and I knew it was good that I had the suit on.

There were many flights of steps up ahead, and I thought that they may never end. I noticed that my feet began to stick to the metal flooring as I headed up, which made me wonder if the suit had some sort of metallic sole to prevent people from floating away from pre-war ships if they had to make repairs on their ships when in space. It would make things rather difficult if there were. Maybe they were only activated when gravity was not as heavy.

The door at the top was slightly stuck, but with a hard tug, it came open with no sound. I guessed that there was no sound because sound waves can't travel without air. I pressed through on to the top of the ship, and the teleporter glowed orange up ahead between the upper part and the lower part. Well, I guessed it to be a teleporter. For all I knew, it could have been something that held the two parts together, and my stepping in it would break the two parts apart, of it could fry me. There was nowhere else to go, so I decided to take my chances.

As I stepped in it, a tingling sensation filled my body, and everything turned a bright orange, which then slowly began to turn white molecule by molecule. Suddenly, everything sped up and went white, nearly blinding me in the process.

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

I let Charon go, and I was mad at myself again. Why didn't I try harder? I could have- My thoughts were interrupted by a small voice.

"Hikari, there's no use wallowing in self-pity," Sally said. "Come and explore with me! It'll make things go faster! There's plenty I haven't seen yet."

I sighed. "Fine, let's go."

She smiled and grabbed my hand, leading me only God knows where. I wasn't really paying attention until she stopped in front of a glowing platform.

"This thing lit up after you destroyed the last generator," she stated. "Come on, let's go in!"

"But, Sally, we don't know where it goes."

"That's the fun part!"

She smiled and ran into it before zapping away. I frowned and felt as though I had no choice, so I jumped in after her. My body felt tingly and everything glowed for a split second. After that, it was dark. I couldn't see a thing and something horrible filled my nostrils. I turned on my pip-boy light, but it didn't help much.

"Sally?" I called. "Sally, where are you?"

A small glow came from up ahead, and I headed toward it. I tripped a couple of times over some things, but I didn't know what they were. I came into a weird, small room where Sally was messing around with some kind of device that was on the wall. The buttons emitted a blue, almost electric-looking light. I wasn't entirely sure she should be messing with that.

"Sally, do you know what you're doing?"

"Nope," she replied.

Suddenly, the door behind shut behind us, and the feeling of falling began. I closed my eyes and clung to the wall, fear filling my body, but it didn't help one bit. We jerked to a stop and I felt a small amount of relief. Light flooded the small compartment, and I realized what we were in: one of the garbage chutes. There was a single alien in the room where the light was coming from. I quickly ducked down and waited for Sally to get the thing moving again. I kind of wished she hadn't, because the sensation of falling came again, and my fear reared its head.

"Think we were spotted?" she questioned.

I didn't reply. I couldn't. We stopped again, and things were better, but the adrenaline still flowed through my system, and I began to shake.

"Cows? We got cows!" Sally said.

I stood up just in time to catch a glance of some Brahmin before we were off again. I clung to the window ledge until we stopped again. I was disoriented and didn't see what was coming. I felt something come in contact with my right and left shoulder, causing me to fall backwards.

"Hikari!" Sally shouted.

A burning sensation filled my body as the wounds began to stitch themselves back together. I brushed the hot, alien, plasmic goo off of my shoulders and allowed my hands to heal themselves before returning fire. The aliens were close, probably thinking I was incapable of fighting back. I managed to kill two before I had to duck back and reload. The other two were easily disposed of with V.A.T.S. I made sure my gun was fully loaded before turning to Sally.

"That was cool!" she shouted. "How come you can heal?"

"Dunno," I replied.

"Well, I think you'll be fine for a while," she stated. "I'm going to see if I can't find a way to get out of this place. I think I can fit through the window, but you're too big."

"W-wait, you're leaving me here?"

"Only to find a way to get you out," she replied. "Don't worry, I'll be back soon."

She began to climb, and I sat right under the window once she was out. I was alone in the darkness and garbage with only my weak pip-boy light. The garbage chute could fall at any moment, and there was nothing I could do. Great. My fear of heights and falling began to settle in the pit of my stomach.

After a while, there was a terrible groaning noise, and my fear intensified. I felt the room begin to fall at a rapid pace, and I clung to the sides once more. The double door to my left opened up and the cart tipped as it stopped, causing me to slide with the garbage, and I tried to find something to grasp on to. I clung to the edge and tried to pull myself in, but I lost my grip and began to fall through the darkness and silence. I blacked out before I reached the bottom, my heart racing the whole time.

xXx

My leg hurt a bit, but everything else seemed to be okay. The odor that I had smelled before had increased tenfold wherever I was. I heard an odd noise, and flipped on the light of my pip-boy. I shone it around, but it did little good, only illuminating a radius of about one foot. I saw something shining and red, and I ventured carefully towards it. As I drew near, I realized something. It was Harkness. The noise was coming from him, and the red stuff was blood.

"Oh, gosh, Harkness!"

I knelt down beside him to try to see if I could help him in any way.

"H-Hikari," he said with a light cough. "Good. You're safe. Have they hurt you?"

"No," I lied. "Can you walk?"

Slowly, he shook his head. "C-can't feel my legs."

"I've got to get you out of here," I told him. "I'll help you walk."

"No," he said. "No, I'll only slow you down, increase your chances of getting killed."

"Look, I have the uncanny ability to heal. You, however, don't. I'm not leaving you."

"Yes, you can heal," he wheezed. "But that does not mean that you cannot die. Hikari, you are not immortal. Everyone dies, some way, somehow. This… This is my time."

"Harkness, don't say things like that," I said. "Come on, I'm not leaving without you."

"Hikari, I will not argue this point any longer… Your gun is about to jam. Let me see it."

I sighed and handed it to him. After all, it had been him that had given it to me in the first place. He tinkered with it, using only the small amount of light from my pip-boy. I don't even know what he did, but he handed it back to me after a moment.

"Now get out of here-"

"No," I told him firmly. "I refuse to leave you here to die."

I bent over and tried to help him up, but he wasn't helping.

"Just leave-"

"No! I'm not leaving, and that's final. You can either cooperate with me and make this a lot smoother or you can drag me down and cause even more of a risk. Your pick."

He sighed, but decided that it would be better to cooperate. He leaned heavily on me, but I ignored it and helped him to walk, hopefully to somewhere safe.

~Charon's POV~

On the top part of the ship, the platform activation was easily initialized. I waited for people to come through, but none came. I briefly wondered if I had activated it correctly. I stepped into the teleporter and wound up where I had entered the decompression chamber. No, everything was correct, but no one was nearby.

I ventured farther down the hall, my gun at the ready. Anything could have happened aboard the alien ship, so I had to be ready. I heard voices, but it was on; Sally and the others. I approached them cautiously, wondering why they weren't waiting by the teleporter.

"Wait, where's Hikari?" I questioned.

"I don't know!" Sally said in an exasperated tone. "That's why I came back from exploring! She was in the garbage chute when I left to find a way out, but it went away, and now I don't know where she went!"

I felt rage begin to course through me. "We will find her. Show me where you last saw her."

"O-okay…" Sally mumbled.

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

I stumbled passed odd-looking things that seemed to compact the alien trash, carefully avoiding being hit. I had a feeling that if I were to somehow go underneath one, I would be pulverized to a pulp.

I crept thought the garbage, Harkness leaning against my side, hoping that there would be no aliens anywhere that I had to deal with. I was running very low on ammo, but I may have been able to use one of the alien's guns. There was bound to be a lot more ammo for those kinds of guns around.

I opened a door cautiously before slipping in. I could make out six aliens on my pip-boy radar, which was still working surprisingly well. I went to take out one, but I missed, alerting them to my presence. I cursed my luck and ran down some stairs, narrowly avoiding the shots that flew my way. Laying Harkness against the wall, I stood up once the shots seemed to have stopped and began to fire again. They took the opportunity to fire upon me at the same moment, and I felt many of their plasmic shots splatter across my body. I fell back down next to Harkness, suppressing screams of agony as the goo began to burn right through the little bit of protection that I had. I brushed it off, but it was sticky and was hard to get off.

Beside me, Harkness stood up, a look of pure torture etched across his face. My body seemed to have restricted my movements when it began its healing process, and I could only watch as he grabbed my gun and began to head for the stairs.

"No," I muttered. "Harkness, no, don't-"

"Hikari, get out of here and save yourself. I love you."

I was frozen, but not because of the same reason. I stared at him, unable to find the words to say. Was this why he was acting the way he was? Why he was helping me?

"Harkness, I won't let you do this," I managed to say.

"I have to," he said. "I'll take out as many as I can. Goodbye."

He stood up, and my stomach began to clench as I watched him go in horror. He began to fire before he even got to the top of the stairs. I had never seen anyone fire so quickly. He must have gotten off a good ten shots before he reached the top of the steps. I resorted to crawling towards him. I didn't know what good it would do, but maybe there would be some was that I could protect him .He was one of the only people that seemed to know who I was.

I reached the first step, ignoring the constant burning that plagued my body, just in time to see the worst thing I had probably ever seen. A shot from the alien weapon struck Harkness, and he stumbled backwards, but kept firing. More and more shots stuck to him, and the smell that filled the air was sickly sweet, of burning flesh.

"Harkness!" I cried out. "Harkness, no!"

I could tell that he was in a lot of pain, and it made me feel horrible that I could do nothing about it. I kept crawling up the stairs, hoping to reach Harkness. Suddenly, Harkness fell to the ground, plasmic goo stuck all over his body.

"Harkness! NO!"

I felt like crying, I felt sick to my stomach, I felt shocked, I… I was so scared out of my mind, and had just seen one of my only friends get himself killed to save me. Harkness was the one to help me after my memory had been lost. He was one of the few that actually gave a damn. And now, he was gone. Gone forever. There was nothing I could do, and I felt so… helpless. Hot tears streamed down my face, but I wiped them off. I would not let Harkness's sacrifice be in vein. He wanted me off of the ship, and that's what I'd do. I'd kill every one of those aliens, for doing what they did to us.

The gun slid over to my position, and I was filled with rage, fury, anger, sadness, despair, everything of the like. I felt a new wave of energy wash over me, more adrenaline, if that was possible. I grabbed the gun and stood up, firing at the aliens, my pain going numb. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as I fired, and I kept firing, even after I knew that they were dead.

Suddenly, I felt a pair of strong arms restrain me from behind, and I fought, tears filling my eyes. I shouted, louder and louder each time, until I collapsed on the ground in sobs. Charon said nothing; he just held me close, which was exactly what I needed. I sobbed into his shoulder as he stroked my hair with one hand and cradled me with the other.

* * *

~Charon's POV~

Hikari was devastated with the loss of Harkness. I had no idea just how strongly she had bonded with him in the short period of time. I hated to do it, but I had to force her to slip out of her depression. More aliens were bound to show up sooner or later, and we needed to move before they turned the teleporter off again.

Hikari's clothes were completely ruined, and she had nothing else. I thought for a moment before giving her the space suit that I was still wearing. It would be big on her, but it would be better than the rags she had. Her ammo had also depleted during the fight, so she was forced to use one of the alien guns. It was similar in size to her old one, and we were able to figure out how to reload it and scrounge up enough ammo from the bodies of the dead aliens.

xXx

As we made our way silently through the hallway, I heard some more aliens up ahead, and they had robots. I tried to convince Hikari to stay, but she refused to. She wanted revenge, and I doubted it would be good for her, but hell, she needed it. She deserved it.

We were able to sneak up on them and frenzy one of the robots, which began to attack the other robot and the aliens. It managed to take out the other robot and one alien, leaving just a couple for us. Hikari shot with no mercy and a fearless, dangerous look in her eyes. To be honest, I had hoped that she would snap out of things, but she was desperately clinging to her emotions; she was in a rage, and nothing would stop her.

xXx

It seemed like we were finally getting to the aliens as they shot off their death ray to frighten us. Hikari seemed unshaken, along with Somah, Paulson, and me. Sally and Elliot appeared to be quite frightened of it. They wouldn't blow up their own ship, and that would be the only way to stop us. We would get off of the ship, even if it killed us.

~Mei's POV~

I lay on the bed in our Megaton shack, hoping and praying that Charon would be back with Hikari soon. I was bored out of my mind, and he was taking way too long. It hadn't even been a week, and I was about ready to pack my things and go searching. Wadsworth putted in for the fifth time that morning and asked me if I'd like anything. Again, I said no. Honestly, if that bugger didn't leave me alone, I might have ended up shooting it. Didn't it understand that what I needed was to get out? But no, Charon made me promise that I'd be a good girl and stay in Megaton to heal.

I sighed and decided to get up. Maybe there would be something around town to do. Ha. Yeah right. What was there to do in Megaton other than live? Die. That was it. The place was pretty dead, especially with Gob and Moriarty gone. I wanted to kill something. That sounded good. I grabbed my assault rifle and left the house and went up to where Stockholm patrolled and sat with my feet dangling over the edge.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm waiting for something to kill," I stated.

"Why?"

"Because I'm fuckin' bored!" I snapped. "Is it against the law to be up here? God…"

I was pretty sure he sent me some sort of loathing look, but I didn't care. I stared on the horizon with my assault rifle ready and loaded. If I was lucky, maybe there would be some raiders that ventured within killing range. Yes, that would be good.

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

I couldn't wait to get to the bridge. I wanted to kill the captain or whoever was in charge. They took away one of the few people that truly cared for me, and they would pay. Dearly.

"This is the teleporter to the deck," Sally stated.

"You sure?" I questioned.

She nodded, and I didn't hesitate to jump in. I would go in guns blazing, taking down as many as possible before they took any more of us down. I fired off shot after shot of the alien matter, doing as much damage as I could before the others showed up. The captain, or at least, I thought he was the captain, was talking to another hologram, and I didn't hesitate to shoot him in the back of the head while he was busy talking. He turned to a pile of ash on his seat, and I could sense that something was wrong. The others filed in behind me just as another ship came into view.

"This is just like an episode of Captain Cosmos!" Sally exclaimed. "Somah, can take those controls over there, Elliot, you can go over there, Paulson, you can be Jangles the Moon Monkey, and I can arm the death ray!"

"I ain't no space monkey…" Paulson muttered.

I looked over the readings that were at the captain's chair. They appeared to show the shield and death ray power distribution of our ship and the other ship. I pressed a button, and the death ray fired, hitting the other ship. They returned fire, and I steadied myself in the captain's chair. I watched the damage report on our ship, as well as theirs. I waited for the button to light up again before I shot another blow. I then quickly turned shields up to maximum and waited for them to fire. I then turned the death ray to max and fired before turning the shields back up. The cycle went on for quite some time before something seemed to have really damaged the ship. The death ray wasn't firing, and our shields were failing.

"Look around and see if you can't find any kind of repair switches or something!" Somah shouted.

I glanced around before I spotted a backup generator switch. I hit it, and the death ray seemed to come back online. More aliens, however, poured in from behind us. Paulson and Charon kept them at bay, along with the samurai. I wasn't even aware that he had returned until I heard him shouting in whatever language he was speaking.

I hit the switch again, hoping that this would be the shot that blew up their ship. Ours had slightly less damage, but that was probably because we had launched the first assault. I turned the shields back up to maximum before we retained more fire.

When the ship suddenly sent out an explosion, I was half delirious. We had just blown up an alien ship, and something inside of me felt so much more… relieved. I relaxed in the captain's chair. It seemed as though our struggle against the aliens was coming to a close.

"Umm, Hikari," Elliot called. "You might want to come and look at this."

Great. Just when things were starting to turn around.

"What is it?" I asked, staring at the screen.

"I think that during the battle, I may have accidentally launched some sort of homing beacon down to Earth. Now, I'm not sure, but I think it may be a way off of this ship. I believe it is somewhere outside DC."

I stared at him hopefully. Maybe there was a chance that we could get off of this ship. I hoped and prayed it was so.

"How would I access it?" I questioned.

"There is a teleporter in the captain's quarters," Elliot stated. "According to the readings, you should be able to access it from there."

"Thank you!" I exclaimed. "Charon, did you here that? It could be our way home!"

He nodded solemnly. I didn't understand why he wasn't as excited as I was. That homing beacon could mean that we could go home, get off of the ship, and get back to Earth. No more aliens, no more blasters, no more unpleasant things… Well, not in the same sense. There were plenty of unpleasant things, from what I could remember, and there were some kinds of blasters, but not in the big death ray sense.

"Well. I'm going to try it out," I stated.

"So, I guess this is goodbye," Sally said.

I nodded. "I guess so."

"Well, you're always welcome back if you decided to leave Earth again," she replied.

I couldn't help but smile. "I'll be sure to come straight here if I get sick of the wasteland.

"Goodbye, Sally."

"'Bye, Hikari."

The girl wrapped her arms around me and embraced me in a final goodbye. I returned the gesture before she let me go.

"Thank you, all of you, for your assistance," I announced. "I will miss you all. Goodbye."

With that said, I stepped into the teleporter. I felt tingly all over, and it made me feel weird. Everything went from bright white to pitch black as my face pressed on something hard and rough. I sat up slowly and pulled up my pip-boy map. I was up north, in the mountains. It wouldn't take more than a couple of days to reach Megaton, where my home was, and where I was being called to.

* * *

~Mei's POV~

I had been going up to Stockholm's lookout for a few days. He had grown used to me being up there after that time. Suddenly, something in the sky lit up. It was so pretty, and yet… scary, almost. I felt drawn to it though. I wanted to know what it was, and I wanted to be in front

of it when it happened. It looked so cool.

"Did you see that?" I asked Stockholm.

"See what?"

"That light!" I replied as I pointed. "You can still kinda see it if you look really hard.

He narrowed his eyes as he stared off in the direction I was pointing.

"Yeah, I guess there is something there. Just ignore it."

"But I want to know what it was!"

He shrugged and returned to his patrolling. I stared off and fired a couple of warning shots at a couple of raiders that ventured too close. After the sun began to dip below the horizon, I decided to try to go and catch some sleep. The more I slept, the faster I recovered, and the faster time passed.

The following morning, I woke rather late, and I could smell something cooking downstairs. It smelled of Salisbury steak, insta-mash, Blamco, and nuka-cola. I went downstairs to investigate.

"Wadsworth, I thought I told you not…"

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

Upon arriving in Megaton, I felt so at home. The rusted city with its high, rickety walkways and slanted buildings were so familiar, as though they all held memories. Charon led me to our house, but my gut told me which one it was. I entered and I could nearly see the memories, but they weren't there.

"I shall make something to eat," Charon stated.

I nodded and left him to his work. I hadn't eaten since Charon arrived on the ship, so I was up for anything. As I walked around the room, everything I touched called out to me, as though begging me to remember. It was there, but I couldn't see it.

I heard footsteps from upstairs, and I looked up the stairway.

"Wadsworth, I thought I told you…"

The person that I was staring at looked almost exactly like me. I remembered Charon and Harkness saying something about a sister, and everything seemed to hit me at once. Memories that had eluded me since waking up flooded back into my consciousness, flashing before my eyes. Each one held the person in front of me. Life in the Vault, leaving the Vault, the first view of Megaton, Gob, Moriarty, the bomb, the ruins of Downtown DC, Underworld, Ahzrukhal, the Brotherhood of Steel, Project Purity, my death… Everything. Mei and I stared at one another, completely and utterly shocked.

"Kari," she whispered before running down the steps.

We embraced, and my life seemed to fall back into place.

"Mei, I've missed you, even though I couldn't remember you," I told her. "There was something that was missing, and now I realize that it was you."

"I've been so worried about you," she stated. "Kari, how did you survive all of the radiation at Project Purity? I saw you die, I-"

"I don't know," I stated. "I woke up in the Citadel, and… Oh, God, the Citadel! It was under attack when I left! I think it was Enclave! Mei, we've got to help them!"

"Kari, we need to wait," she tried to reason. "You just got back. Charon is making food, you need to rest, he needs to rest."

I sighed and collapsed in a chair by the table. "You're right. Besides, who knows how long ago the attack was. It's probably over by now."

"Good, Charon, how much longer until the food's ready?"

"About five more minutes."

* * *

After Notes:

So, I apologize for the wait. I've had so much to do, between exams, marching band starting back up, two concerts, graduation, a parade that I had to be in, sickness, family events, etc, and I've been having a hard time getting some writing in. But, school is now out. The thing that actually encouraged me to finish was the fact that I was pretty much rejected by the guy that I like. When I am emotionally upset, I write a lot, so thanks to that guy for making me just enough emotionally distressed enough to finish the chapter. Much appreciated, HikariMei.


	9. Chapter 9: News

First off, to guardsman101: Thanks. I'm glad that you like it so much, and I appreciate you taking the time to review. :)

Secondly, the songs of inspiration: Werewolf by CocoRosie

Thirdly, the disclaimer: I do not own Fallout 3 or any Fallout 3 related things. I am not making any kind of money off of this. I do, however, own Hikari and Mei. That's it.

And finally, please enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 9: News

~Mei's POV~

Finally, my arm was better. It took forever to heal, and I was eager to go out and do… something, anything. Just get me out of that hell-hole called Megaton.

We decided to go to the Citadel. Sure, I didn't like the Brotherhood, I mean, they kept my sister away from me when she was really alive, and they took so long with their medics, but hell, it was something to do. Maybe I'd even get to kill something. A blood lust had been growing with each day that I was unable to kill, and it was kind of weird, but it was a part of who I was. I would use it to my advantage and keep my sister safe, by killing everything that threatened her.

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

We were heading towards the Citadel, and I could tell that something wasn't quite right with Mei. She was… overprotective, I guess you could say. Her visage never left the horizon, and when it came time to settle down for the night, she always took first watch, right by me. It was odd, and I could tell that something was off.

Still, maybe it was nothing, and I was just being paranoid. I tried my best to sleep, but I could hear small noises off in the distance; a small, blackened twig snapping here, the shot of a pistol there… It was nerve-racking. I felt both Charon and Mei's presences by my side, and I felt slightly more at ease, but something still didn't sit right with me.

I sighed and rolled onto my back, staring up at the black, empty night sky. My dad had a bunch of prewar books that I guessed he must have brought in from the wasteland. I recalled reading one about stargazing, but there were no stars anymore to gaze at. The fallout was still in the atmosphere, blotting out the stars. It must have been some war, to still have fallout hundreds of years later.

I heard a noise, but it was louder than the rest, and it was growing in volume. It sounded like something metallic dragging against the ground. Charon and Mei immediately had their guns at the ready. I, too, had my plasma rifle pointed in the direction of the sound.

"S-Sarah, just leave me to die," a familiar voice said. "I'm nearly-"

"Don't say that," another voice said, this one feminine. "We have to be close to Megaton."

"But I won't make-"

"Gunny, stop. We're going to make it."

"S-Sarah?" I called out. "Sarah Lyons?"

"Wh-who's there?" she shouted. "I'm warning you, I am a highly trained-!"

"Sarah, it's me! Hikari Mansen!" I interrupted. "Remember? Project Purity?"

"Oh, thank God," I heard her say as I turned on my light. Her voice was quite frantic as she continued. "Please, we need help. The Citadel, I- it's being- it has been-"

"Just calm down," Mei said. "Charon, can you get a fire going?"

The ghoul in question nodded before turning to leave to gather wood. As they drew closer, I realized that the other person that she was supporting was Gunny. Blood dripped freely from his leg, out a couple of holes in the bottom of his armor, and there were more holes through his right side of his armor.

"Oh, God, bring Gunny over here. I have some medical supplies," I stated. "Strip off his armor, and I'll get started."

"Wait… How are you alive?" Sarah questioned. "I saw you die at Project Purity."

"Now's not exactly the time, princess," Mei pointed out. "Just do as Kari says."

Sarah nodded, and removed Gunny's armor, revealing the extent of the damage. I grimaced when I saw that it was not bullet holes, but the burns from a laser rifle. The wounds had begun to fester and turn to sores, which were starting to look infected, so I hurried and pulled out med-x and stimpaks before injecting the med-x into his skin. The expression on his face seemed to relax, and his breathing evened out. I then injected the stimpaks. It would take some time, but he would heal.

By then, Charon was back with the wood and began to work on a fire, then cook up some food that Mei had given him from her pip-boy.

"What happened?" I asked. "How did Gunny end up like this?"

"I guess that starts back about a month ago. We were attacked by the Enclave. We thought that after Hikari blew up their base, that we had them defeated," she stated. "They still managed to rally, though, and we were caught off guard when they assaulted us. We managed to keep them at bay, despite the short warning. It was about three days ago that my father found me and told me to take Gunny with me and leave. I could tell we were about to lose. Our supplies were nearly out, and the Enclave was gaining ground. I didn't want to leave, but my father forced us to. We made it out undetected for a day before we came across some Enclave soldiers that were patrolling the area. They fired upon us and Gunny shielded me, getting injured as you see here. I took them out, and I decided to make our way to Megaton. I figured that we could get medical help for him and I could find help for the Citadel. We have some troops patrolling, and I know that maybe I could rally them up, but I don't doubt that the Citadel has been taken over by the Enclave…"

"We'll help," I stated. "I don't know how, but we will find a way to help."

"I appreciate it," she replied, "But we're going to need a lot of people."

"You're looking at the girl that survived the highly irradiated chamber of the Jefferson Memorial, that can heal herself instantly, and blew up Raven Rock," Mei said. "I'm pretty sure that she can handle a few more Enclave soldiers."

"But this is an entire army we're talking about," Sarah pointed out. "But… how did you survive the memorial?"

"I don't really know," I told her truthfully. "I woke up with no memories, and I left while you guys were fighting the Enclave. I don't know how I survived. I was ready to die, but I didn't."

"That's odd," Sarah stated. "We held a memorial service to honor your sacrifice, and yet your body was lying around in the Citadel?"

"Guess so," I replied. "I am just as confused about all of this as you are."

"Well, we need to get going as soon as possible. We have to get help to defeat the Enclave."

"What about the Outcasts?" I questioned. "Wouldn't they help?"

"Them? Help?" she scoffed. "They hate my father, and everything he stands for. They wouldn't help us."

"Well, maybe I could persuade them," I offered. "They would prove useful for defeating the Enclave."

"If you want to try, feel free to," said Sarah. "I can show you where their base is."

"I think you should come with us to try," I stated. "We have to try."

Sarah bit her lower lip, as though in thought, debating the option that I had presented. I hoped that she would agree to come with us; she would make a great asset, as would Gunny, once he healed.

Charon passed out some Cram that he had heated up over the fire, and we all ate in silence. From my pip-boy, I took out three water bottles, giving one to Sarah and one to Charon.

"We need to sleep," Charon grumbled.

I could tell that he didn't like Gunny and Sarah, but they needed our help. I no longer held Charon's contract, so he was free to leave at any time, but I didn't want him to. I would be heartbroken if he decided that he didn't want anything to do with the Enclave or Brotherhood of Steel, or if he tired of my company. Mei and I tended to attract a lot of trouble. I guess it was some sort of curse of being from a vault, or maybe it was being the children of two ambitions humans. Still, we attracted the wrong kind of people.

"I'll take the first watch," Sarah stated. "I need to think, anyway. You guys go ahead and sleep. I'll wake someone once I get tired, or if a threat is approaching."

I did as Charon had suggested, and I flopped onto the hard ground, which wasn't too smart, considering that I had just thrown myself on rocks. I grimaced in pain, and Mei noticed, smiling, but shaking her head before lying next to me. Charon was on my other side, just like it used to be.

* * *

After Notes:

Sorry! I didn't mean for my update to take this long. I literally wrote this in about an hour, and I'm not really satisfied with it, but I've got some more ideas based off of it, so I'm going to put it up. I've read over it a couple of times, but that doesn't mean that I have everything perfect. If you notice anything, please point it out to me so that I can fix it. Thanks.

Again, I was emotionally upset when I wrote this, but not for the same reason as last time. This was because I've been stressed and fed up with a lot of people… It really P's me off… Which is prolly why I'm not really satisfied with this chapter, but whatever.

Anywho, I don't think this chapter is NEARLY long enough, but oh well. I would really appreciate if you left a review or sent me a PM to let me know what you think. Or even just get updates from the story. It really does make my day. Much appreciated, HikariMei. :)


	10. Chapter 10: Finding

Song of Inspiration: Perfect Situation by Weezer

Disclaimer: I own nothing other than Hikari and Mei. That be it.

* * *

Chapter 10: Finding

"So, where are these Outcasts located again?" I questioned.

"Fort Independence," Sarah stated. "We're almost there, now hush."

"Getting irritated, now, are we princess?" Mei prodded. "Not getting your way, are we now?"

"Mei, stop it," I scolded. "I'm sure she and Gunny have had a worse time this past week than we have."

Mei grumbled to herself, and she reminded me of Charon when we first obtained his contract.

"There, on the horizon. See that building? It's the fort," Gunny stated.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious…" Mei muttered.

"Welcome, Sergeant Sarcasm," he replied.

Off in the distance, I could hear gunshots along side energy shots, and I rushed towards them. I could hear the others calling my name, but I didn't respond. I pulled out my plasma rifle and turned the safety off. Charon scolded me for even putting it on, but it's not like I really got to use my gun that often.

As I drew near, I saw two Outcasts shooting at some raiders off in the distance. I joined the one on the lower level and began to shoot. Mei, Charon, Gunny, and Sarah were right behind me. Some of the raiders were getting brave and rushing towards the barricade. They didn't last long, and soon, the fight was over.

"Look, if you guys plan on getting yourselves killed out here, would mind doing it away from the… wait a minute, you're with the Brotherhood, aren't you?"

"Yes, we are," Gunny replied. "Got a problem with that?"

"Yeah, I do. Why don't you run along back to Elder Lyons? We don't want you here."

"What's wrong with Elder Lyons, huh?" Sarah continued, obviously irritated.

"Well, for starters, he turned his back on what the whole Brotherhood of Steel stands for," she said. "And secondly-"

"My father is trying to help the people of the wastes," Sarah interrupted. "People come before the technology."

"You… Sarah Lyons? God, I haven't seen you since I left the Brotherhood. Still daddy's little girl, huh? And Gunny, too."

"Anne Morgan. Should've known it was you."

"Wait, you know each other?" Mei questioned.

"Unfortunately," Sarah growled. "We didn't get along very well."

"You only got up in the ranks because your father became the leader. You can't shoot worth Brahmin shit!"

"That's a lie, and you know it," Sarah interrupted. "You KNOW that I am a better shot! You just don't want to admit it!"

"Let's stop fighting!" I shouted. When it was quiet, I continued. "Please, that's not why we're here. The Citadel was attacked and overrun, and we need assistance."

"Hah, that's rich, coming from the girl who looks like she'd faint at the sight of blood. Tell ya what: Why don't you run along and play house with-"

"Shut up!" Mei shouted. "Don't talk about her like that! I'm sure that Kari can take more shots than you could stand."

"And I'm sure that you could, too, huh?" Morgan said, pointing her gun threateningly at me. "You wanna test that theory? I'm-"

In a matter of seconds, she was on the ground, her gun in the hands of Charon.

"You will not threaten my employers," he stated.

"Or what, you're gonna shoot me? Then what? You'll have the whole fort on you, and then where will you be, huh? In a ditch somewhere, covered in you own blood, that's where."

"Anne Marie Morgan, what's all of the… What the hell!" the other Outcast exclaimed. "Wait, Sarah Lyons?"

"The one and only," the woman replied. "And this isn't exactly what it looks like. She was threatening us."

"Look, we didn't come here for violence and fighting," I offered. "We just want to talk. Who is in charge?"

"Protector Casdin," the man stated. "Just put the gun down."

Charon looked over at me for approval, and I nodded. He lowered the gun, tossing it on the ground. The other Outcast helped Morgan up before turning to us.

"Defender Rococo Rockfowl," he said. "And may I ask why you're here?"

"I'm Hikari, and this is my sister, Mei, and our friend, Charon. I'm sure you already know Gunny and Sarah. As to why we're here, we seek assistance," I stated. "The Citadel has been overrun by the Enclave, and we're trying to gather up as much help as we can."

"The Enclave, huh? Isn't their technology better than yours and ours?" Rockfowl questioned.

"Yeah. Why?" Mei inquired.

"The Brotherhood's original quest was to gather technology and the like, before my dad took over the branch here in DC. Here, we try to help people and keep them safe. The Outcasts have continued to gather technology," Sarah explained. "Tell you what; you help us out, we give you technology."

"I say deal, but unfortunately, it is not up to me. You'll have to take the offer up with Protector Casdin. I'll take you to him."

I nodded, and the kinder of the two Outcasts began to lead us up to the fort.

* * *

~Charon's POV~

I did not like the Outcasts. They threatened Hikari. I had admitted to myself that I cared for the girl beyond the bounds of the contract, but I owned my own contract. She had no hold over me, and neither did her sister. The girls were more vulnerable than they wanted to believe. Mei was usually the one looking for a fight, which could get her killed. Hikari was usually naive in people's intentions. I could not abandon them. I guess that I managed to keep some rank of morals, despite my harsh upbringing.

I did not like the Brotherhood, either, but the twins wanted to help them out, so I went along with it. I would protect them, even if I owned my own contract.

We followed the male outcast into the fort, to speak with their leader, Protector Casdin. The man that we met acted as though he was better than us, and I immediately smelled a scheme when he

heard our plight. He smirked, the light catching a flicker of something in his eye. The whole time he talked, his eyes never left the twins' pip-boys.

"I would love to help, but you see, I have some men in an outpost through Bailey's Crossroads Metro, near the Red Racer Factory. I'm sure you know where that is," he said. "I would gladly send help your way if you were to assist them, but for now, I can't afford to send any away."

"We'll do it," Hikari said before her sister or Sarah could say anything.

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

The metro tunnels were full of multiple Mirelurks, and it was obvious by all of the egg sacks that lay on the lower tracks that it was their nest. There were smaller Mirelurks that were humanoid, and they shot some kind of radiated blue light from their mouths. Charon said that they were the dominant Mirelurks, and that they were called Mirelurk Kings. We tried to avoid them when possible, but it was as though they were able to see in the dark, even when we weren't.

Still, we pressed on, and I had no idea how long we would be down there. I stuck close to my sister and Charon for the most part. I don't know how long we were down there, but I was desperate to get back out into the sunlight. We stopped for the night in a supply closet, and Sarah and Mei took the first watch. For some reason, Mei and Sarah didn't get along too well, and they were constantly at each other's throats with threats. I lay close to Charon for warmth and the comfort that he offered. I was glad that despite the fact that he owned his own contract, he stayed with us, since I would probably be dead in some ditch, along with Mei, if it hadn't been for him.

According to my pip-boy, it was nearly seven when we got moving. Sarah said that we were close, and that we were to prepare ourselves for whatever lied ahead. I could hear the sounds of a shot from an energy gun echo throughout the empty subway. It was very quiet, but the look that Charon wore told me that he had heard it, too. The Mirelurks were nowhere to be seen, and it made me wonder why. I dismissed it as the fact that we were outside of their nests, but something felt wrong. I could smell something that was horribly familiar and faint, and it rolled around in my stomach, making me feel uneasy. It grew stronger and stronger the further we went into the tunnels. My stomach churned more and more. It was then that I noticed the corpses of the Mirelurks in the ruts by the trains. Their bodies were strung about, discarded limbs and claws ripped off, shells torn open, the meat rotting disgustingly, and the blood pooled around. Some had burn marks across their shells.

"Super mutants," Charon mumbled in my ear.

I acknowledged him with a small nod. The mutants would have the strength to rip the creatures apart easily, but there were no life signs on my pip-boy. If the mutants were in the subway, they posed no danger at that sounds of laser rifles could be heard up in the distance, along with a soft whirring- a mini-gun. Something was definitely wrong. I quickened my pace, as did Charon.

"What is it?" Mei asked as I headed to the front of our small pack.

"You don't hear it?" I inquired. "Laser rifles- there are quite a few of those- and… a couple of mini guns... and a Gatling gun."

"I don't hear anything," she stated. "Are you sure you're not just hearing things? It's been awfully silent since this morning."

"That's just it," I replied. "It's been too quiet. Something happened. The Mirelurks around us are all dead. Something had to have killed them."

"I hear it, as well," Charon stated. "At least five laser rifles, two mini guns, one Gatling gun, and a shotgun that Miss Hikari did not pick up."

"Well, what do you plan on doing about it? Our weapons are inferior compared to theirs," Mei stated.

"We fight," Sarah said. "Take them by surprise."

"We'll need to help out the Outcasts if we want their help freeing the Citadel," Gunny added.

Without any more incentive, I took point, Charon following closely behind, his shotgun at the ready. I withdrew my plasma rifle and loaded it. The memory of the person that had given it to me brought tears to my eyes. I had loved him, of that much I was sure. Some part of me told me that he loved me, as well. He wouldn't have sacrificed himself for me if he hadn't. I pushed those thoughts out of my head, though. It was not the time to dwell on those things when there was going to be some kind of battle.

* * *

~Mei's POV~

Sure enough, Kari had been right. The Brotherhood was battling against six or seven of the mutants, and they carried rather advanced weapons. We were warned by one of the knights not to interfere because of our own safety, but Kari and I could handle it, especially with Charon, Gunny, and Princess by our side. The mutants were soon driven back, and Kari set out to talk to one of the knights. I spaced out during the conversation, but when I heard them mention the pip-boy and simulation, my ears perked up.

"Wait, what about a simulation?" I questioned.

"Were you not listening?" a man said. "In order to gain access to the weapons cache, we have to complete the simulation, which required one of the computers on your wrists."

"Kari is not going in there," I stated. "Last time she went into one, she had a mental breakdown. If anyone is entering it, it's going to be me."

"Mei, I can handle it," she insisted. "I'm a lot stronger than I was then."

"I don't care. I… I'm not losing you again," I admitted.

Kari sent me a look, one of the looks that only she can give, like she's reading my thoughts. No, more like she's reading me, not my thoughts. She was concerned, worried, comforting, and somewhat happy all at the same time. I loved my younger twin sister, and there was nothing that I wouldn't do to keep her safe, despite her protests.

"Mei, you won't lose me. It's just a simulation," she said softly. "I'll be fine."

"Well... not necessarily," the man spoke. "If you die in the simulation, your body enters cardiac arrest."

"Kari, that's not exactly something that you can live through," I stated. "I'm going in."

"I suggest that you let her go," Charon said quietly to Kari.

The only time when Charon and I ever agreed was when it came to Kari's safety, and that was the only reason that I liked that ghoul. Kari sighed problematically.

"I'm not letting you in there," I decided. "And Charon doesn't want you to go either, obviously."

"But-"

"Look, it doesn't matter to us who goes in there," the man that Kari was talking with interrupted. "One of you just get in there."

"I'm going," I replied. "My sister is not."

"You'll need a neural interface suit, first," he instructed.

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

I could understand Mei's concern, and I appreciated it, but I didn't need it. I could handle it. She had always viewed me as something that needed sheltering, but I was becoming stronger and didn't need that protection. I didn't want to see her get hurt. I didn't want anyone to get hurt because of me. Something told me that I would be fine in the simulation, but I don't know if my body could recover from cardiac arrest.

When the case closed around Mei, the machines sprang to life, recording all of her vital functions on different screens. Their scientists hovered around the various monitors, writing the displays on clipboards. Charon stuck by my side, but Sarah and Gunny walked off to take a look around the base. I was worried about what kind of trouble the two would get in, but I figured that they would be able to handle it and put it out of mind.

"I'm sure she'll be fine," Charon muttered.

"I know she's strong, but I can't help but think that it should be me in there," I replied.

"We don't know what she's going through, and I worry…"

"It's natural," he responded. "Your sister is strong. She just wants to protect you."

I sighed and leaned against him. I felt him stiffen slightly against me, but he relaxed after a moment.

"Charon, why… why is it that you're still with us?" I questioned. "You have your own contract, and you're free to leave if you want."

"You asked me to protect Mei before you went in to start the purifier," he stated. "I am honoring your wish, but why did you have me do so? Does she really mean that much to you?"

"Of course she does!" I replied. "She's my sister! We've been through everything together from the day we were born. She's the only person that knows absolutely everything about me. I didn't expect to live through the radiation, and I needed someone to make sure that she wouldn't do anything reckless, or rather, she wouldn't die doing anything reckless, since she hardly listens to anyone. I'm really surprised that you even asked that."

"And I am surprised that you wonder why I am here," he said.

"Because I don't know why," I told him. "Mei and I attract trouble, no matter where we go. We're dangerous to be around, and the people that we care about… They don't usually live with us… My father, Harkness… Everyone…"

Images of everyone that had given their life for us, flooded my vision. The bitter sorrow of their losses seemed to numb all of my other senses. Their deaths had all been for us… Why had so many people given their lives to save ours? We weren't as important as they were. Something inside told me that it should have been us to die, not them. At that moment, something told me that I wasn't worthy, that I should be dead, but somehow… somehow I was alive. It was because of those people.

"Those people gave their lives because they love you," Charon said. "Did they not tell you that before they gave themselves up?"

"Only my father and Harkness," I whispered.

"I'm sure that they loved you," he replied. "Do you need to talk about it?"

Did I? Yes. I nodded. Charon placed his hand on my shoulder and sent a glare to some of the scientists for the outcasts, and I think they got the hint, as they left the room silently.

* * *

~Mei's POV~

Every part of my body was screaming out in pain. Sharp, freezing wind whipped at my exposed skin. I felt someone grab my arm, and my body went into auto pilot as I shot up and pulled the gun off of my hip… Wait when did my rifle turn into a silenced 10mm pistol?

"Easy there, soldier," the man said. "I'm on your side. That was quite a nasty fall you took there. I'm surprised you're still alive."

"What are you talking about?" I asked. "A-and who are you?"

"Sergeant Benjamin Montgomery. You just fell off of that cliff, and your parachute failed to deploy," he replied. "You remember the mission, right?"

"No, I can't say that I do."

The man sighed before he began to explain. "We are the lucky ones chosen to infiltrate the communist base and destroy the giant guns that are killing our men. There were others deployed, but I'm afraid it's just us two now. I'll go ahead and meet you inside."

The man ran off before I had a chance to ask him anything else. I pulled a face mask down out of the helmet that was lying on the ground beside me, and I pulled up the radar on my pip-boy. It worked surprisingly well, but it was just a simulation. I looked over the gun that I had. Silenced 10mm, pretty realistic, I had to admit. Everything about the simulation was realistic: the strong, cold wind, the rocky cliffs, Benjamin Montgomery, and everything. I walked forward quietly, careful not to draw any attention to myself. The man said that we were approaching a communist base, so there were bound to be communists, whatever those were. I remembered hearing something about killing communists from Liberty Prime, so I knew that they had to be something bad.

My radar began to pick up something ahead, so I proceeded with greater caution, remembering what the scientist had said about dieing in the simulation. Usually, I had two people covering my back, but it was all on me. I had never been truly alone in a fight.

Well, I was about to see just how much I had improved since setting foot outside of the Vault. I spotted a man who seemed to be patrolling the cliff. I carefully took aim and clicked the trigger. I aimed for his head, but hit his shoulder instead. He recoiled, but withdrew a bigger assault riffle. I swore internally before quickly firing off more shots. Hell, it was the first guy in the simulation; there was no way I was going to die to him.

I shot several times before he finally fell, but as I went to grab his rifle, it disappeared with a blue haze, as did his body. I frowned, guessing the simulation didn't want me to have any of the enemy's weapons, for whatever reason. Still, I pressed on, even more aware of my surroundings. I spotted several guys up on the metal walkways. Part of me wanted to cross, but a part of me wanted to stay put.

The faster I got across, the sooner I could get the simulation completed, and the quicker we could end the fight between the Enclave and the Brotherhood. The wind and cold was harsher than any I had faced, and I clung to the safety rail as tightly as I could while trying to stay hidden from the communist soldiers. I began to understand how Kari felt when she walked the shaking metal walkways in Megaton. I wondered if that was how she felt every time she walked, or if I was close or worse.

Those thoughts were cleared from my mind as I began to shoot at another communist that had spotted me.

* * *

~Charon's POV~

Although I did not like the android, I had to admit that I owed him a great deal. From what Hikari had said, A3-21 had given his life to make sure she was safe. She had loved him, that much I could tell, and something inside felt odd. I knew I cared for her, but even I did not know to what extent. I felt what I believed to be some form of jealousy. I would not hesitate to give my life for the young girl and I believed that she knew it. However, I do not believe that she reciprocated my feelings. She said that she had loved the android, and I knew he loved her in return. I had seen that look many, many times in my lifetime. It is the kind of look that makes people do stupid, crazy things.

* * *

After Notes:

I apologize for the long wait. So much crap has been going on for the past few months, including a new sadistic (but greatly loved) band director, the death of my grandma, stress from school and band, Drama Club, and the flu has been going around. Aaand I'll admit the fact that New Vegas came out recently. But I'm somewhat back. Band is over, but it kills me inside and saps my inspiration. Drumline is starting now, though. I'm excited because I get the marimba this year.

But, that's not really important. I've read over it a couple of times, but if you would happen to notice any mistakes, please point them out to me so I can fix them. Much appreciated, HikariMei


	11. Chapter 11: Making Allies

Quick note: I owe you guys a HUGE explanation for my prolonged absence, which will be shortened at the end of the chapter. Also, if you guys are just picking up where I left off, and you remember the *'s, those are gone now.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, other than Hikari and Mei and a few tweaks to the main plot here and there... and a new laptop. That is all.

Chapter 11 Making Allies

* * *

~Mei's POV~

I felt much more secure now that I had an assault rifle in my possession and I was able to actually fight back like I usually did. I had made it into the base, finally, and felt much warmer, though without the harsh wind, I could hear every noise that I made, and the sounded ten times louder than they probably were. Still, I would rather fight inside than out in the cold on those shaky walkways.

Up ahead, I heard the muffled shout of someone, followed by a crash, so I crept up and peeked around the corner just in time to see a communist fading with the shimmering blue color and Benjamin dropping from a vent. I stood upright and approached him with a grin on my face. Excelent. Now things were starting to feel _much_ better.

"Goddamn, this place is swarming with Reds," he muttered. "I almost didn't make it."

"Well, glad to see you made it in one piece."

"Yeah, I almost bought it out on the cliffs. Didn't know the Reds were so handy with a sniper rifle. So, what's the situation? We ready to blow the hell out of this place?"

"Hell yes," I said. "I'm ready to get this mission over and done with."

"Right. I've got your six," he said.

I didn't really know where I was going to go from there, so I just wandered down the hall, trying to look like I knew what I was doing. However, we ended up back outside, much to my distaste. It looked like I hadn't really reached the base.

"Better watch your step," Benjamin muttered as I glanced down over the cliff.

I couldn't even see the bottom, but it didn't matter. I had to finish this so I could get back to my sister and kill every member of the Enclave. I followed the path down the cliff side and ran into a couple more hostiles, but they were easily taken out by the pair of us and our assault rifles. We fought through countless more until we finally made it to the first outpost. Everything about the simulation was pretty straightforward, so much so that I kept waiting for them to throw me a curveball, like _if you go down this hallway instead of this hallway, you'll run into a room full of communists that'll kill you! _But there was only ever one hallway to go down, one flight of stairs to climb, one walkway to cross. Even now, I bet Kari would have an easy time with it, though I doubt she would have been able to cross the walkways as easily as I did.

As we exited to where the giant gun was, I felt more cold wind whip across my cheeks.

"Damn it, just when I was starting to warm up," I muttered to no one in particular.

"The sooner we take down the three guns, the sooner we can head back to camp," Benjamin replied, this time taking point.

There was a small camp of communist soldiers at the base of the gun, but they were disposed of rather easily, and I placed the explosive charge from my pip-boy on the artillery gun, and Benjamin told me to run and take cover before it exploded. As if he needed to tell me that in the first place.

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

Charon didn't offer me any words of comfort after we finished our talk, but he had always been a man of few words. He just sat and listened to what I had to say and then held me until I stopped crying. He didn't have to say anything; just being there for me was all that I could ask for.

"Thank you, Charon," I murmured, "for being here for me. I know you don't have to be, but I want you to know that I really do appreciate it."

"I won't leave you, Hikari," he replies evenly. "Not while you still need me."

I smiled up at him, and it seemed to pull a ghost a smile to his lips; it was not very often that he smiled, but it brought an odd sense of joy to my heart. However, it quickly faded as he avoided my gaze.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"If I wished to speak with you about something, would you listen?"

"Of course," I replied, wondering where he was going with it. "Why wouldn't I?"

"I worry whether or not it would be best to bring this up, but it is about... what you said when you were dying," he said quietly. "I do not know how much you remember about that moment, but it is crystal clear for me." He closed his eyes, as though he was reliving that moment, and he seemed hesitant to continue. "You said that you loved me, and I was wondering what kind of love you meant by that."

Oh. That.

"At the time, I was trying to get everything out that I had never had a chance to say," I began. "When I said that I loved you, I meant that I loved you like I love Mei. I cared for you a lot and I didn't want to lose you. But..." It was my turn to hesitate. "When I saw you back on the alien ship, I realized something: I love you in a different way now. I care for you differently than I care for Mei. I love her because she's my sister. The way that I love you... it's-"

What transpired next completely caught me off guard. His rough, warm lips briefly brushed against mine, but it sent warmth throughout my limps and I could feel my cheeks flush under the fleeting contact. When he pulled away, our eyes locked and it wasn't as awkward as I thought it would be. It was as though everything suddenly fell into place, and I couldn't help but smile as I scooted closer to him.

* * *

~Mei's POV~

_Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!_ is all I thought as I dove behind one of the rocks that jutted upward, separating Benji and me from the communists. This artillery gun appeared to be just as fortified as the first two – that is to say, we could have easily gone in there, guns blazing, and not have to worry about being shot down. But it looked as though the simulation was programmed for them to catch onto our plans and add more people to protect it.

"All right, I've got a plan," I said once we were safe enough for the moment. "Just give me some cover fire and I'll run in, plant the explosive, and run back."

"That might be a bit too ballsy," he stated, but I ignored him. I was in charge of this simulation and we would go with my plans.

"On the count of three, I'll run out, okay? One, two, three!"

I jumped to my feet and started to run as fast as I could, ignoring the bullets that zipped past me. I shot a couple of shots their way, hoping that maybe I would hit someone or something, but my main focus was getting to the artillery gun and back. I made it there no problem and quickly set the charge before dashing back to the safe spot.

I vaguely felt a burning sensation in my right calf and I stumbled forward into the snow, but quickly rose back to my feet, only to feel a couple more bullets enter at the same spot. Damn, those communists had good aim. I struggled back to my feet, resorting to limping to safety – there was no way in hell that I was going to die here after just getting Kari back. I was nearly there, but almost out of time; the charge was about to explode any second, so I had to get to safety.

Suddenly, I was thrown forward by the explosion and it felt as though I was on fire. I remembered crying out in shock as I landed in the cold snow, such a contrast to my enflamed backside. Benjamin quickly ran over to my side and stooped down next to me, as though to make sure I was still alive.

"Are you okay, kid?" he asked.

"Yeah, just peachy," I said through gritted teeth. "It just feels like a few hundred Super Mutant Behemoths decided to dance on my back is all."

"Super Mutants? Kid, we'd better get you some help soon. Come on, let's get you back to camp."

Everything seemed to rush by me and blur out. I felt a cool, tingling sensation spread over my back, and just a tad dizzy, but it all soon faded and I was in a tent of some kind. I had hoped that once I blew up the third artillery gun, that would be the end of the simulation, but no: there were still more tasks for me to complete.

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

There was a small knock on the door of the room that Charon and I were in, and I quickly rose to my feet, as did my ghoul companion. The door creaked open and one of the Brotherhood Outcast knights popped his head in.

"Yes?" I asked.

"I was told to inform you that the simulation is complete and your sister is waking up," he replied. "The armory is open and Protector McGraw says you have our support in the conquest against the Enclave."

"Oh, thank you," I simply said. "We will be right out." I turned back to Charon with a small smile across my face. "Looks like Mei's out. We should go make sure she's all right."

He gave a quick nod and followed me out of the room and as I made my way down the maze of hallways to where the pod was. Unfortunately, it appeared that I may not have remembered where we had come from. But, as we passed a hallway, I could hear raised voices coming from somewhere down it and I couldn't help but overhear what they were talking about.

"Look, I've made it clear that it's not your call. A deal's a deal," said a voice that I recognized as Protector McGraw

"Sorry sir, but it is my call," replied Sibley. "I'm not taking orders from you anymore."

Well that couldn't be good. I made a turn down the hallway to try and see if I couldn't work something out between the two.

"Defender Sibley? Really? You're not going to get away with this."

"No, you're not going to send our soldiers to help out the defectors from the REAL Brotherhood of Steel!" a now angry Sibley said. "Burn in hell, traitor! I'll see you-"

The sound of a gunshot echoed throughout the narrow, metal hallways just as I approached the two men, blood splattering from the exposed head of the defender. I quickly drew my own plasma rifle, ready to defend myself in needed, and turned to see my sister walking down the hall as she leaned against the wall, smoke rising from the end of her 10mm.

"I did not just freeze my ass off in that simulator to have you screw us over!" she shouted at his corpse. "Right, so our deal still stands, right? I mean, he was going to kill you, so..."

"Of-of course," McGraw quickly said. "We'll be sure to coordinate with Protector Casdin and let him know that you upheld your end of the bargain. We will be sending troops your way when you need them."

Mei shook her head, as though to clear her thoughts, and quickly turned to me. "So, anything good happen while I was gone?"

"No, not really," I told her. "What was the simulation like?"

"Cold. Very cold. There was snow everywhere and I was being shot at every five seconds by some communist or something else, and I couldn't loot their corpses before they would fade away before I could get to them," she said. "If it weren't for Benji, I'd have died in that simulation."

"Benji?"

"Some guy in the simulation that acts as your partner for a little while. He was a decent shot, even if he was only a simulation," she explained. "Anyway, I'm ready to head out into the Wastes once more. I still haven't gotten enough warmth in me yet. Princess can see to the details with the troops and whatnot. I'm out."

I didn't realize how much I missed Mei until that moment, even if it was just for a little while, and I couldn't help but smile and let out a soft chuckle as I followed her down the hall. Just as always, the sun was blazing outside, and she spread herself out on the concrete and rubble with a contented sigh. I quickly followed suit and joined her, lying right next to her as I took in the heat, even if I didn't need it as she did. Charon stood a few feet away from us in the doorway of the Outcast base.

"You should come join us, Charon," I said, not bothering to look over at him.

"I am fine standing here," he replied.

I lifted my head to glance over at him with squinted vision and a cocked eyebrow, and, much to my pleasure, he resigned with grunting noise. I let out a contented sigh as the three of us were all lounging side by side, staring up at the few, fluffy clouds, trying to determine what shapes they took on, even if we had to squint through the bright, hot sun. It's moments like this that I wish could last forever.

* * *

After Notes:

Well, I know I owe you guys, if you're still reading, a HUGE explanation, but to make a long story short, my old laptop broke and I lost EVERYTHING I had worked on in this story, and for a couple months, I was without a computer. In that time, I sort of forgot about this story until I saw the game box on the shelf and I started to play it again. I apologize for the really long delay (two years, almost) but I'm back, and I'm really, really sorry. If you waited all this time, thank you for being so patient.

Now, I'm struggling to recall everything I had planned for this story. Please bear with me as I bring an end to this story.

As always, please feel free to drop a review or PM. Much appreciated, Hikari Mei.


	12. Chapter 12: It's Now or Never

Disclaimer: I own nothing other than Hikari and Mei. And a new laptop that isn't really new anymore.

Chapter 12 It's Now or Never

I can't say that I've ever really been this scared before. Not even when going to take back Project Purity. Then, we had Liberty Prime, the giant robot that was able to take out most of the forces before we even got to them. I was delusional and sick and have a hard time remembering what really happened. No, this time, I'm completely and fully aware of what we are about to attempt. This will be far more dangerous than the last time we engaged the Enclave. This will be a full-on war.

But it's not me that I'm worried about. It's the two people sitting next to and across from me that mean more to me than my own life, that I live for every day. I couldn't bear it if something happened to either one of them. Unlike me, they don't have the ability to heal - if they get shot, the wound won't pop out the bullets and seal itself closed. I knew that I would do everything in my power to make sure that they lived through this, even if it meant that I wouldn't, but I'm okay with that. Better that they live on without me than I live without one of them.

I glanced out of the window of the Vertibird that the Outcasts have required, which was a huge mistake that I instantly regretted. I saw the ground, so far down below me, and my breath hitched in my throat. In the brief moment, I saw a couple of raiders that were the size of a pre-war ant that I once read about, and it registered just how far up we were. If something were to happen with our Vertibird, if a bullet were to somehow graze the propeller, if there was a malfunction in the engine, if-

My thoughts were cut off by a hand on my shoulder and I look up to see the one man that could calm me right before the storm we're about to fly into. Charon gave me a wry smile, and I returned it, placing my hand over his rough, warm one. Across from me, Mei stared out the window, not making any eye contact with me at all. She's been far too quiet since we boarded the bird, and something about it rubs me the wrong way. Perhaps it's because she was always so vocal about what's running through her head, and it makes me feel uneasy. I wish she would say something, anything, to ease the awful silence.

"We will be all right, Hikari," Charon whispered, his hot breath tickling my ear. "I assure you that you will come out of here alive."

I shook my head and responded, "It's not me I'm worried about. I can't... I can't lose you. Either of you."

"Come on Kari," Mei finally said, "since when do you need to worry about me or Charon? If anything, I'd keep an eye on yourself. Charon and I can take care of ourselves. You know this. You need a clear head going into this battle."

She was right, but I didn't want to admit it. Charon and Mei were much better shots that I was, and they were better in combat than I was. But they still couldn't heal like I could. I took a deep breath as the Vertibird swooped down and my eyes slammed shut. I felt Charon's arm pull me close, almost into his lap, as we descended, and it made it a bit easier as we landed.

"Everybody out!" I heard someone shout, and I followed Mei down and out of the aircraft, thankful to have the solid ground underneath my feet, though my knees wouldn't stop shaking and I had to lean on Charon until I regained my balance.

Up ahead, I could hear gunshots and the firing of energy based weapons. We were dropped right at the entrance of the Citadel, and the war against the Enclave was now beginning. I stuck close to my sister and Charon, firing at any and all Enclave soldiers I laid eyes on, but I didn't have to do much in the way of firing, since the other two did most of the work for me.

* * *

~Mei's POV~

Most of the bullets bounced off from the armor that the Enclave soldiers wore, but with the combination of Charon's shotgun and my assault rifle, they didn't stand a chance. Even Kari's plasma rifle was doing a bit of damage, eating away at their armor and allowing for other bullets to penetrate them. We had the element of surprise, as well, so we were able to catch the Enclave off guard and we hit just after the sun went down, so they were probably exhausted from a day's worth of... whatever it is the Enclave does in their free time. Still, it didn't stop the hard resistance that we were hit with, and it caused us to lose a lot of soldiers on our side, as well as theirs; we knew it was going to be a hard fight, but not as hard as this.

I lost track of how long we were fighting, but soon, the resistance was starting to let up. We must have been doing quite a bit of damage with the combined forces of the Brotherhood and the Outcasts, even though they still had more numbers than we did. Still, I wasn't going to stop firing my gun until the last enemy soldier fell, and I didn't. Once the courtyard was mostly cleared, the Sarah, Gunny, Charon, Hikari, and I made our way into the A ring to try and find their leader.

There were very few soldiers posted inside, so we were able to quickly shoot our way around the ring, and determine that whoever was leading them was not in the A ring, so we made our way into the B ring. This ring was more heavily guarded, which Sarah felt the need to point out.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," I muttered as I sent out a spray of bullets from my assault rifle, taking down an advancing Enclave soldiers dressed in Tesla armor. "I didn't see them shooting at us behind their bulky power armor."

She shot a quick glare in my direction while Kari and Charon took down another hostile.

"Well you were slow on the uptake, so I figured I'd give you a heads up," she shot back.

"I wasn't slow on the uptake, you just state the obvious!" I shouted.

"At least I-"

We were cut off by a loud, ear-splitting explosion that knocked us back several feet.

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

I was about to open my mouth to stop Sarah and Mei from arguing – after all, this wasn't the time for this – but all that came out was a strangled cry as Charon quickly stepped in front of my and held my body close to his. I had only a fraction of a second to glance up at his face, which was staring down at me, an almost melancholic smile across his rough lips. Everything moved so quickly after that that I can't really remember everything that transpired. I vaguely remember flying back and hitting my head on the wall, and I remembered the burning sensation that came with it. I remembered sitting up and holding my head in my hands as I tried to figure out what just happened, only to be pulled back down to the ground by Charon, who used his body as a shield once more.

I sat up once more, only once Charon rolled off me. But something was wrong. Horribly wrong. My first clue was the blood that covered my lower half, which was not my own. I quickly turned my attention to Charon, who was laying and gasping for breath on the floor. Blood pooled around his torso, and the back half of his legs and torso no longer existed.

"No..." I muttered as I moved to kneel next to him. "No, no, no, no, no... Charon, Charon, stay with me. Stay with me! I-I can fix this. I know I can. Just... focus on me. Look at me, Charon. Don't go to sleep. Mei, get some radiated water here, pronto!"

"I'd love to!" I heard her shout as I removed my medical supplies from my pip-boy. "But I'm a bit busy at the moment! This place is still crawling with soldiers!"

"Sarah and Gunny can keep them off us! Go get it, now! I don't have any in my pip-boy and I need to tend to Charon's wounds before he bleeds out!" I yelled back with intensity that frightened me.

She bit her lip in hesitation before giving a small nod and shouting something to the two Brotherhood Knights that I was unable to hear. I didn't look up from my work, patching Charon's legs and lower torso up with the best of my ability, but I could tell that something wasn't right. He had already lost a lot of blood, and he was starting to shake.

"Hikari," he whispered. "Hikari, I'm... not going to make it."

I shook my head adamantly as I pumped another vial of med-x into his system. "No, you're going to be fine. I won't let you go."

"Hikari, you must prepare yourself for the inevitable. I once told you... I would not always be here... to protect you."

"You're going to be okay. I can fix this. I can make sure you live," I insisted as the tears began to form in my eyes. "Just don't go to sleep."

I felt his hand graze my cheek and I leaned into it instinctually. His other hand stilled mine as he shook his head.

"You've done enough. Just-"

The tears began to dribble down my face as I tried to keep myself from crying. This wasn't happening. It _couldn't_ be happening. Was it really only yesterday that the three of us were laying in the sun, in complete bliss?

"Why," I whispered, "did you do that? Why did you have to take the blow? I... would have been fine. I could have healed. I-"

"No, you would not... have been fine. That missile... would have... blown you apart," he replied with gasping breaths. "You would... not have... regenerated... fast enough."

Even though I knew he was right, I didn't want to hear it, or rather, I didn't want to see him like this. I didn't want him to leave me.

"Charon-"

I was interrupted when he used the hand that rested against my cheek to pull me down to him, pressing his lips to mine. I responded as passionately as I could and for as long as I could with his blood and my tears mixing together to create a salty, metallic taste. I didn't stop until I felt him still against me.

"Charon?" I whispered, my heart sinking in my chest. "Charon? Charon! No! Charon!"

I buried my face in his armored chest and let the tears free. I felt hesitant hands on my shoulders and heard Mei's voice in my ear.

"Kari, we have to go. We can't wait sit here and do nothing; Gunny and Sarah can only hold them off for so long," she said softly.

Slowly, I rose to my feet, gun in hand. My sorrow and hurt was quickly replaced with rage and anger, and the Enclave was going to have hell to pay.

* * *

~Mei's POV~

You know how I said that if we were to bottle Kari's rage, we'd have a weapon of mass destruction on our hands? Well that weapon of mass destruction could have been single-handedly to blame for the fall of the Enclave. No matter how many bullets, shots of plasma, or blasts from grenades she took, she didn't stop. She shouted in pain many, many times, but _never_ stopped. Not until the last Enclave soldier fell and she was standing face to face with the new general.

"Hands in the air – Now!" she shouted, aiming her plasma rifle at his face.

Begrudgingly, he began to lift his hands in the air, only to stop at his waist and withdraw a small .32 pistol. He raised it into the air and aimed it right at Kari. He squeezed the trigger and a bullet flew from the chamber, burying inside her shoulder, but as quick as he shot, she did, too, sending a blob of plasma right for his face. While he screamed in agony, the bullet popped from her shoulder and clinked on the floor before the flesh knitted itself together. Kari rolled her shoulder before shooting a couple more shots at the man on his knees.

What happened next completely caught me off guard. Kari seemed to go into some sort of rampage, trashing everything in sight with strength I hadn't seen and yelling at the top of her lungs. I had never seen her act this way before. Sarah and Gunny moved to restrain her, but I shooed them away and told them I would take care of her.

"Kari," I called out to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Kari-"

She turned to face me, and the fury she had been displaying melted from her face as she threw herself at me, burying her face in my shoulder. Together, we fell to the ground, bloodied and covered in sweat, but together. I ran my fingers through her short, shaggy hair as she just let it all out. I knew she loved Charon, but... I hadn't been anticipating a reaction like this if something had ever happened to him.

"Kari, I... I don't know what to say, but... I'm here for you. I'll be your shoulder, your support, your ear, everything," I told her.

"You've always been here for me," she replied, her voice cracking with each syllable. "That's all I ever needed from you, and it's all I need now."

She latched on tighter as a new wave of sorrow overtook her.

* * *

After Notes:

...

Well... yeah... Don't kill me. I love Charon, but I also love sad endings. This is the last chapter, but there will be an epilogue.

As always, feel free to drop a review or PM. Much appreciated, Hikari Mei.


	13. Epilogue

Disclaimer: I own nothing, other than Hikari and Mei.

Epilogue

~Hikari's POV~

Hikari, would you like to say a few words?" I hear Sarah ask.

It takes me a moment to register what she asked, but I nod and step forward, my sister by my side.

"Charon... He was more than a bodyguard, a mercenary for hire, a simple ghoul. He was... my protector. When I was sick, he would stay up with me, make sure I was comfortable. He would keep Mei and me safe beyond what was required of his contract. He went beyond the call of his duty, and cared for us and somewhere along the way... I fell in love with him, and he with me," I say, my voice growing stronger despite the wetness that runs down my cheeks. "Neither of us admitted it until recently, but... He died protecting me. He laid down his own life so that I could continue to live mine. He was the bravest, kindest man I had ever met, and the man I loved the most in my life. I..."

I couldn't continue, so Mei ushered me out from in front of the small crowd of Brotherhood knights and let Sarah continue to funeral.

I lean on Mei's shoulder as they lower his body into the ground, and a new wave of tears flow from my eyes. I had thought that they had long since dried up, but this moment proves otherwise. My sister runs a comforting hand slowly up and down my back. A funeral, I've come to understand, is a rare thing in the Wastes – or at least, in this sense, it is. Back in Vault 101... God, that seems like such a long time ago, another _lifetime,_ even. It feels like I've been living out here my whole life.

"Kari, you gonna be okay?" Mei asks.

I don't know. Mei and I went through our father's death together and came out okay, but the death of Charon hits me in a way I never thought it would, and Mei and Charon didn't have the same kind of relationship that Charon and I had. But I know she'll be here for me. Even if I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel... I know that someday, I'll be able to with her by my side. We'll get through this. Together.

* * *

After Notes:

Yep. That's it. I know I could do more, but I feel like this is a good point to end it, even though it's really short...

I also went back and edited every single chapter in the series, including rewriting chapter 3 of Leida, so feel free to check it out.

If you are sad that you will no longer be reading of the adventures of Hikari and Mei, fear not! I am going to start a new story with them, in an AU setting, so keep an eye out for it.

Thank you for all of your support throughout the story. I'm sorry if the ending seems rushed (it does to me), but I hope you all can find it in your hearts to send a review or PM my way and let me know what you think.

Much appreciated, HikariMei.


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